Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday during which the two leaders agreed to further increase cooperation in various sectors.

During the meeting, the two dignitaries expressed satisfaction over the progress made on the decisions taken in the meeting in Makkah earlier this month.

The prime minister, who is currently in Saudi Arabia on a three-day visit, also discussed areas of mutual interest with the crown prince.

PM Shehbaz also thanked Muhammad bin Salman for sending a high-level delegation to Islamabad under the leadership of the Saudi foreign minister and issuing directions for more delegations to visit Pakistan to promote investment.

The premier also expressed gratitude to the crown prince for hospitality during his visit to Riyadh and for a comprehensive programme presented by Saudi ministers regarding investment in Pakistan.

The two leaders also discussed the situation in Gaza and PM Shehbaz reiterated the invitation to the Saudi crown prince to visit Pakistan.

During his three-day visit to Riyadh, the PM addressed the closing session of a WEF meeting, highlight the problems being faced by cash-strapped Pakistan.

The prime minister landed in Riyadh on Saturday for a three-day visit to attend the World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy. He was invited to attend the moot by Saudi crown prince and WEF Chief Executive Klaus Schwab.

The premier also held a meeting with Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi on the sidelines of the WEF meeting, during which he said that the economic ties between Islamabad and Riyadh had entered a new era as both countries were set to take concrete measures to boost the volume of bilateral trade.

The Saudi minister said that the Kingdom was prioritising trade and investment in Pakistan, adding that a delegation of Saudi businessmen, traders and investors would soon visit the country.