Pakistan's Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir will visit Saudi Arabia from Thursday to Saturday. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that "although the visit comes amid escalating tensions in the Gulf, it carries significance that extends beyond the current crisis and short-term considerations." The visit will be the third since the outbreak of the US-Iran war in the region in late February this year. Prime Minister Sharif has already made two visits to Saudi Arabia within the span of a month, accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. The first visit took place on March 12, during a period of heightened tensions marked by Iranian attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, other Gulf states, and Jordan. The second came on April 14, during the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, when Sharif led a high-level delegation on a regional tour that also included Qatar and Turkey. The upcoming talks will mark the eighth round of consultations between the two countries, following seven rounds held last month. Those engagements also included Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's visit to Saudi Arabia at the beginning of last month and Saudi Arabia's announcement last week appointing Dr. Rajeh Al-Buqami as its ambassador to Pakistan, reflecting growing political and security coordination between the two countries.
