Pakistan’s Zardari meets UAE vice president, discusses increasing trade, investment cooperation
Last Updated on January 28, 2026 11:12 pm
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari met UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at Dubai’s Zabeel Palace on Wednesday, Zardari’s office said, during which the two sides discussed ways to expand trade, investment and economic cooperation.
Zardari arrived in the UAE on Monday with a high-level delegation for a four-day official visit to the Gulf country. The Pakistani president met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, where the two sides explored new opportunities in trade, investment and other sectors.
“The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with a focus on expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE,” the Pakistani president’s office said in a statement about Zardari’s meeting with Maktoum.
It said Zardari praised Dubai’s “remarkable transformation” into a global center for tourism, finance and emerging technologies during the meeting.
The statement said both sides exchanged views on benefiting from Dubai’s development experience, particularly in ports, logistics, infrastructure, information technology and digital financial services.
“The president highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing economic reforms, including investment facilitation and privatization, and explored opportunities for enhanced cooperation with the UAE in infrastructure development, logistics, food security and technology-driven sectors,” Zardari’s office said.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE, the statement said.
First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE took part in the meeting.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain close political and economic relations, with Abu Dhabi playing a pivotal role in supporting Islamabad during periods of financial stress through deposits, oil facilities and investment commitments.
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States, and a key destination for Pakistani exports, particularly food, textiles and construction services.
The Gulf state is also home to more than 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest overseas Pakistani communities in the world, who contribute billions of dollars annually in remittances, a crucial source of foreign exchange for Pakistan’s economy.