Exports to Gulf stay resilient as PM orders shipping boost and faster renewable shift

Pakistani exports to Gulf countries continued to expand despite regional tensions, driven by steady demand for agricultural products, officials told a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday.

The premier noted that sustained diplomatic engagement had helped ensure uninterrupted export flows to Gulf markets even amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

To capitalise on rising demand, he directed the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation to arrange additional vessels to facilitate higher export volumes through maritime routes and strengthen logistics capacity.

Separately, the meeting reviewed the country’s long-term power generation strategy, where officials reported that 55 percent of electricity generation currently comes from renewable sources, compared to 45 percent from fossil fuels.

Authorities informed the meeting that work was underway to significantly expand clean energy capacity, targeting an increase in renewable power generation to 90 percent over the next decade, alongside scaling electricity production from biofuels to 10 percent.

The prime minister emphasised that the growing share of renewable energy had helped the country avoid an energy crisis despite disruptions in oil supplies linked to the tense regional environment. He also instructed relevant authorities to accelerate the rollout of battery energy storage systems and formulate a comprehensive national strategy to further expand renewable energy resources.