President Dr Asif Ali Zardari has given monumental credit to the outgoing Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malkiy for his invaluable contribution in furthering the enduring fraternal and strategic partnership between the two brotherly Islamic nations.
The high level state visit happened at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad, where the Saudi envoy officially bid the President goodbye and expressed his satisfaction with the results of the state visit, which lasted for several years.
Shifting From Fraternal Ties to Deep Geo-Economic Integration
President Asif Ali Zardari, during the official session, underlined that Pakistan has a long-standing and strong friendship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and much appreciated their strong financial and diplomatic support in the challenging periods of transition in Pakistan’s economy.
Since 2018, Ambassador Nawaf Al-Malkiy has been Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat in Islamabad, leading a game-changer in the bilateral relations, from the traditional geopolitical cooperation to a deeper economic, technological, and infrastructure integration. The President said he has full trust in the solid platform established under Ambassador Nawaf’s eight-year mandate, and that it would remain a blueprint for bilateral trade lines and cross-border software deals for years to come.
President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan deeply values its time-tested friendship and strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia@PresOfPakistan @PakinSaudiArab @ForeignOfficePk #RadioPakistan #News https://t.co/hSgixD2Lqb pic.twitter.com/eBXEgGgB6T
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) August 23, 2026
Major Milestones and Policy Shifts Under Ambassador Nawaf’s Tenure
Ambassador Nawaf’s time in office was characterized by several major policy achievements that systematically linked the financial systems and border compliance infrastructures of both countries:
The Road to Mecca Initiative: Activating digital verification and pre-clearance biometric terminals at major Pakistani airports, allowing local pilgrims to complete Saudi customs and immigration processes before departure.
Central Bank Liquidity Support: Coordinating multi-billion dollar deposit buffers with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) alongside deferred-payment oil financing facilities to assist national monetary stability.
SIFC Investment Pipelines: Aligning Saudi sovereign wealth funds with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to identify joint venture options across local corporate agriculture, industrial manufacturing, and mining.
Outgoing Ambassador Reaffirms Lasting Bonds with Pakistan
In response, Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malkiy expressed his deep gratitude to the leadership, federal ministries and people of Pakistan for the unparalleled level of hospitality and professionalism they had shown to him during his extended visit.
He stated that he would always have the utmost respect for the state of Pakistan and the resilient people of Pakistan and would always be its staunch supporter in the international arena on the path of Pak-Saudi strategic unity.
