ISLAMABAD – The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman is all set to make his first-ever state visit to Pakistan, where he will announce the biggest ever investment in the history of this South Asian country.
The 33-year-old, who is also the kingdom’s deputy Prime Minister, will land in Pakistan with four jets and will be accompanied by his ministers and investors in the crucial two-day visit.
Foolproof security arrangements have been put in place as Pakistan extended its arms to welcome the ambitious crown prince who would stay at the PM House – the first foreign dignitary to stay at the place.
The crown prince would be welcomed at the President House and series of high-profile meetings have been lined up and the most important huddles would be featuring Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Mohammed bin Salman, referred to as MBS, holds the distinction of being the youngest defense minister in the world. He is now the first in line to the Saudi throne.
His swift ascension to power is a testimony of the fact that MBS outpowers others when it comes to administration and governance skills.
The Saudi Crown Prince has consolidated his position in the royal hierarchy but his achievements also made a mark on the international front.
He was ranked at number 8 in ‘World’s Most Powerful People’ by Forbes in 2013. Moreover, in the same year, Forbes Middle East honored him as “Personality of the Year” for his work with the non-profit Misk foundation that works on cultivating learning and leadership among Saudi youth and develops startups in the country.
The young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 is a comprehensive reform drive aimed at restructuring the Saudi kingdom’s economy and reducing its dependence on oil revenue.
MBS is opening up Saudi Arabia to the world and is welcoming investments from corporate giants. He has also envisioned ‘Neom’ city in the Tabuk province where global firms would be invited to invest in technology and other sectors.
MBS is not only keeping economy under consideration but is also excelling when it comes to civil liberties and extending human rights. The young prince has earned praise on the international front for some of the reforms he has overseen in the conservative Gulf kingdom, including lifting the ban on women driving and a more liberal approach to adapting with modern world.
Women in Saudi Arabia can now own their businesses, join the military and partake and attend sporting events all because of the reforms that the Crown Prince promised and delivered upon.
With the vision of Saudi royal, Saudi Arabia is entering a new phase of development in which cinemas are being opened and Hollywood blockbusters are being enjoyed by the youth of the country.
As MBS is actively diversifying Oil-centric economy of the kingdom, foreign investment has started flooding in.
In an ultra-conservative nation, he’s advocated for a return to a more moderate form of Islam in order to interpret the religion in its true form.
As Saudi Arabia is moving forward, it is also purging itself of evils including corruption for which the credit goes to MBS as he had ordered a sprawling crackdown against the menace.
Soon after his ascension to crown prince in June 2017, MBS had confined top figures of the country to Ritz Carlton hotel and was able to recover over $106 billion in Saudi Arabia in one of the landmark achievements.
As Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share decade-old ties owing to common religious identity and strong cultural links, the much-anticipated tour of Mohamed Bin Salman would help Pakistan grow economically as agreement for setting up an oil refinery in Gwadar is expected to be signed.
MBS would also address a business forum in Pakistan and agreements worth over $20 billion are expected to be signed in the tour.
Moreover, the Pakistani side would also discuss the prospects of easing visa for businessmen in the country.
