Pakistan, Bahrain set sights on US$1b trade target

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa have agreed to raise Pakistan–Bahrain bilateral trade to US$1 billion within three years, setting one of the strongest economic goals between the two countries in recent years.

The commitment was made during a meeting at Qasr Al-Qudaibiya in Manama, where both leaders placed economic cooperation at the centre of their discussions. Current trade between the two nations stands at more than US$550 million, with both sides expressing readiness to accelerate growth through the nearly finalised Pakistan–GCC Free Trade Agreement and recent visa relaxations aimed at improving business mobility.

PM Shehbaz invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities in food security, IT, construction, mining and minerals, renewable energy, health, and tourism. He also proposed enhanced port-to-port connectivity between Karachi or Gwadar and Khalifa bin Salman Port to facilitate smoother trade flows. The two leaders reviewed defence and security ties, agreeing to expand cooperation in training, cybersecurity, defence production, and information exchange.

The premier thanked Bahrain for its longstanding support to the more than 150,000-strong Pakistani community and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to supplying more skilled workers. He also acknowledged Bahrain’s assistance in constructing King Hamad University in Islamabad and in facilitating the release and repatriation of Pakistani nationals.

Both sides also exchanged views on developments in Gaza, expressing hope that recent steps toward stability would bring long-awaited relief to its people. The meeting concluded with optimism that the renewed dialogue would deliver tangible progress across strategic, economic, security, and people-to-people ties.