'We welcome Saudi decision to join CPEC' — Finance Minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Asad Umar on Tuesday welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to become a part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor even as the prestigious project continues to lure foreign investors to the country.
His comments were part of an address to a media delegation from the Kingdom, a statement released by his office said on Tuesday.
Umar briefed the group about the government’s ongoing drive for macroeconomic stabilization and strengthening of the country’s economy.
The statement quoted him as saying that “Pakistan offered multiple opportunities for foreign investors and welcomed Saudi companies to invest in various sectors in Pakistan including the petro-chemical and mining sector.”
“He made a special mention of the oil refinery project envisaged by the Saudi side in Pakistan and said it will have a lasting impact on Pakistan’s economy, both in terms of investment and growth,” it added.
Umar said that both countries are now focused on providing opportunities to the youth to enable them to play a key role in the socio-economic development of the country.
The group’s members, for their part, shared their experiences of visiting Pakistan and said that “they were eager to see the economic cooperation between the two countries develop to greater heights”.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Saudi delegation had also met with Information Minister Fawad Hussain.
According to state-run Radio Pakistan, Hussain said that an upcoming visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Pakistan would take the relations between the two countries to greater heights.
The crown prince is scheduled to be in Pakistan on February 16 and 17 on the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the foreign ministry said in a statement released on Wednesday.
This will be his first state-level visit to Pakistan since his ascension to the role of crown prince in April 2017.

'We welcome Saudi decision to join CPEC' — Finance Minister