KARACHI: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia held wide-ranging talks in London on Thursday focused on new shipping and port development projects, including a proposed Sister Port agreement between Karachi Port and Jeddah Islamic Port, Pakistan’s maritime ministry said.
The two countries have expanded economic and security engagement in recent years, with maritime logistics and port development emerging as a growing area of collaboration. Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in its port infrastructure under Vision 2030, while Pakistan is seeking foreign partnerships to modernize its shipping capacity and upgrade facilities in Karachi and along the Arabian Sea.
Pakistan’s federal minister for maritime affairs, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, said the discussions with the Saudi transport minister in London on the sidelines of International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly focused on broadening maritime ties across shipping, logistics, training and investment.
“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed to further enhance maritime cooperation,” a statement from the maritime ministry said, adding that both sides reviewed “new cooperation in shipping and port development.”
The two sides also discussed a Sister Port agreement between Karachi Port and Jeddah Islamic Port, a move aimed at boosting cargo movement, harmonizing port procedures and enhancing connectivity between two of the region’s major maritime gateways.
