Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, accompanied by a high-level delegation, arrived in Islamabad on Thursday, Eurasia Diary reports citing Dawn.
Prime Minister Imran Khan received the crown prince at Nur Khan Airbase. Various officials including Energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan were at the airbase to receive the visitors.
Setting aside protocol, Prime Minister Imran personally drove the crown prince, who on Tuesday was announced by Russia Today TV as the Arab world's most influential leader of 2019, from the airbase. This, however, is not the first time the premier has gotten behind the wheel for a foreign dignitary.
According to a curtain-raiser for the visit issued by the Foreign Office, the crown prince will hold a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Imran followed by a luncheon hosted by the premier.
During the meeting, the two leaders will discuss bilateral matters as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The crown prince, according to a diplomatic source, has been in Pakistan for the past few days for houbara bustard hunting.
UAE’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Hamad Obaid Alzaabi, while announcing the Islamabad leg of the crown prince’s trip, said it would be a daylong 'official visit' for "strengthening the bonds of friendship between the two brotherly countries".
During his stay, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, who is also the deputy Supreme Commander of the Emirati Armed Forces, will meet with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. The duo met last month as well when Gen Bajwa travelled to Abu Dhabi on December 14.
The Emirati ruler last visited Pakistan on January 6, 2019, just weeks after his country offered $3 billion to support Pakistan's battered economy.
His visit today comes on the heels of Pakistan pulling out of the Kuala Lumpur summit in Malaysia apparently over reservations by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following the summit, had said that it was not the first time that Saudi Arabia and the UAE had put pressure on a country for doing or not doing certain things.
