Urdu Report Desk
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement waiving visa requirements for citizens holding diplomatic and official passports traveling between the two countries.
This agreement was signed in New York on September 22 by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on the sidelines of the 2026 United Nations General Assembly session.
Diplomatic and Official Passport Holders Exempt from Visas
Under the agreement, Pakistani citizens holding diplomatic and official passports will be exempt from visa requirements when traveling to Saudi Arabia.
Similarly, Saudi citizens holding diplomatic, official or special passports will not require visas to travel to Pakistan.
Ishaq Dar announced the agreement on social media platform X, saying the visa exemption would facilitate high-level contacts between the two governments and strengthen institutional cooperation.
Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation
According to Ishaq Dar, the agreement is intended to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and facilitate cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
The agreement comes as Islamabad and Riyadh seek to expand their economic relationship. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said last month that Pakistan wants to transform its economic ties with Saudi Arabia into a strategic economic partnership.
Saudi Investment and Security Cooperation
A Saudi business delegation has already held discussions in Pakistan on investment opportunities in agriculture, infrastructure, energy and information technology.
Security cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye has also expanded through the Makkah joint defence agreement and the new trilateral committee established under the agreement.
