Pakistan and Bahrain on Wednesday explored ways to strengthen economic, security, and strategic cooperation during a meeting between Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at Al-Qudaibiya Palace.
The prime minister emphasized increasing bilateral trade from over USD 550 million to USD 1 billion within three years, supported by the Pakistan–GCC Free Trade Agreement, currently in its final stages, and recent visa facilitation. He invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities in food security, IT, construction, mines and minerals, healthcare, renewable energy, and tourism, and proposed enhanced port-to-port connectivity between Karachi/Gwadar and Khalifa Bin Salman Port.
PM Shehbaz congratulated Bahrain on securing a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2026–2027 and offered Pakistan’s support and coordination during its tenure.
The prime minister acknowledged Bahrain’s support for the over 150,000-strong Pakistani community and expressed readiness to provide skilled manpower. He welcomed expanded collaboration in higher education, technical training, and digital governance, building on the King Hamad University initiative, and thanked Bahrain for facilitating the release and repatriation of Pakistani nationals.
Defence and security cooperation were also discussed, with both leaders agreeing to strengthen collaboration in training, cybersecurity, defence production, and information sharing. Regional issues, including the recent developments in Gaza, were addressed, with both sides stressing the importance of long-overdue peace and stability.
The discussions concluded with confidence that outcomes would strengthen Pakistan–Bahrain relations across economic, strategic, security, and people-to-people domains.
