Saudi crown prince's exercise equipment reaches Pakistan ahead of state visit

Personal amenities of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have reached Islamabad, ahead of his two-day trip to Pakistan during which investment deals worth billions of dollars are expected to be signed between the two-decades-old allies, according to a media report on Monday. The Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman powerful is expected to arrive in Pakistan this week, but the exact date of his arrival has not been disclosed due to security reasons. The crown prince's belongings, including his exercise equipment and furniture, reached Islamabad in five trucks, the Dawn News reported quoting Saudi Embassy sources.

ALSO READ | Iran revolution brought 40 years of failure, says Donald Trump

Prince Muhammad bin Salman will be the guest of honour at international investment conference scheduled to be held here next week. He is supposed to visit four countries but will start his visit from Pakistan. According to sources, a 40-member Saudi delegation, and over 100 Saudi and Pakistani business leaders will attend the international event. The forum will deliberate on energy, petrochemicals, housing, tourism in Punjab and KP, as well as sign MoUs in this regard.

During the visit of the Saudi Crown Prince, both sides are ready to sign four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth $15 billion.

His security team and Saudi media representatives also arrived in the capital ahead of his visit.

This will be the first visit of Mohammed as the crown prince. He had earlier visited Pakistan as defence minister at the start of the Yemen conflict.

While the prince himself is expected to stay at the Prime Minister House, two of the top hotels in Islamabad have been booked fully for members of his staff, while two others hotels have been partially booked. The crown prince is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan and other senior civil and military leaders.

Outer security of the hotel where the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) General Raheel Sharif is staying has been handed over to the army. 

ALSO READ | Four dead after military helicopter crashes in Istanbul

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood and Chairman Board of Investment Haroon Sharif told selected reporters that the KSA and the UAE were taking a lot of interest in Pakistan and both were establishing refineries with an investment of $6 billion separately.