Pakistan, KSA sign security, cricket pacts

Agree to develop cricket stadium in Jeddah

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on security cooperation on Wednesday, while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF) signed a separate agreement to develop an international cricket stadium in Jeddah, according to official statements issued by Saudi authorities and the cricket federation.

The developments mark the latest steps in expanding cooperation between Islamabad and Riyadh, which have in recent years broadened their longstanding strategic partnership beyond traditional political and defence ties to include internal security, investment, sports, tourism and institutional collaboration.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, in Riyadh, where the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral security cooperation before signing the MoU.

Announcing the development on X, Prince Abdulaziz said the agreement had been concluded under the directives of the two countries' leadership.

"Under the directives of the leadership, I met today with my brother, His Excellency the Minister of Interior and Minister for Narcotics Control of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr Mohsin Raza Naqvi, where we affirmed our shared commitment to strengthening security cooperation between our two countries and signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the security field," he wrote.

The Saudi minister described the agreement as reflecting "the strength of the strategic partnership and the depth of the longstanding relations between the Kingdom and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan."

Separately, the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation announced on X that it had signed a strategic MoU with the Pakistan Cricket Board to support the development of an international cricket stadium in Jeddah. The agreement was signed by Naqvi in his capacity as PCB chairman.

According to the federation, the partnership aims to establish an international-standard cricket venue in Jeddah, strengthen the Kingdom's readiness to host major international tournaments, support the development of players, coaches and match officials, expand technical cooperation and knowledge-sharing, create new investment and sports tourism opportunities, and advance the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The federation said the partnership's expected outcomes would help "advance cricket and support Saudi Vision 2030."

The agreements are the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at deepening Pakistan-Saudi cooperation across multiple sectors, with both governments continuing to describe their relationship as a strategic partnership built on longstanding political, security, economic and people-to-people ties.