Overview
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, expressed Pakistan’s complete solidarity with Saudi Arabia, pressed for dialogue and diplomacy, and received an invitation for an official visit by the crown prince next year.
- Shehbaz met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Rahim Yar Khan to build on their Dec. 26 talks, seeking a major boost in trade and cooperation across IT, energy, mining and defence while noting the role of 2.1 million Pakistanis in the UAE.
- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss the regional situation and reaffirm the positive trajectory of Pakistan–Saudi ties.
- Saudi officials said strikes on Yemen’s Mukalla targeted UAE-linked weapons bound for southern separatists, a claim the UAE strongly rejected as it said the shipment held no weapons and was intended for its own forces.
- The Foreign Office confirmed Dar will co-chair the Pakistan–China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Beijing on January 4, 2026, and Uzbekistan’s foreign minister said his president will visit Pakistan in February 2026.