Shehbaz eyes $1bn trade with Bahrain in three years

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to deepening ties with the Kingdom of Bahrain based on shared faith and mutual respect.

The prime minister arrived here on a two-day official visit to hold high-level engagements with the country’s leadership and discuss bilateral and regional ties.

The prime minister met King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa in Manama and reaffirmed the strong and historic partnership between the two nations, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

Discussing economic relations, the prime minister highlighted Pakistan’s desire to expand trade and investment. He noted that bilateral trade was poised to grow with the GCC Free Trade Agreement, which was currently in the last stages of finalization. He invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), especially in food security, IT, construction, mining, tourism and healthcare.

The prime minister also appreciated the support provided to more than 150,000-strong Pakistani community in Bahrain and thanked the king for pardoning Pakistani prisoners.

They reaffirmed the importance of the longstanding defence partnership and agreed to continue strengthening cooperation in training, logistics, manpower, and defence production. Both sides reviewed the encouraging momentum in bilateral relations and agreed to further enhance cooperation in political, economic, defence and cultural fields. They also discussed the recent developments in Gaza and agreed that the establishment of peace and stability was long overdue for the people of Gaza who had suffered for decades.

During the meeting, the king conferred upon Prime Minister Sharif the Order of Bahrain (first class), which is the highest award given by Bahrain to the heads of states and governments. The king informed the prime minister that the kingdom of Bahrain had the privilege of being represented at a legal forum by none other than Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Muhammad Ali Jinnah remained Bahrain’s lawyer for a long time, he added.

The prime minister thanked the king’s generous support, including the establishment of King Hamad University for Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences in Islamabad, inaugurated in September 2025.

The king of Bahrain organised a banquet in the honour of Shehbaz Sharif and the Pakistani delegation at the end of the meeting.

Shehbaz also met Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the Al-Qudaibiya Palace and emphasised enhanced bilateral economic cooperation between the two friendly nations.

The prime minister was presented a guard of honor upon arrival at the palace.

The meeting focused on economic cooperation, where the prime minister highlighted the potential to increase bilateral trade from over USD550 million to USD1 billion within three years. He invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities in food security, IT, construction, mines and minerals, healthcare, renewable energy and tourism.