ISLAMABAD: Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, is expected to arrive in Pakistan today for a two-day official visit aimed at expanding trade, investment, and security cooperation, part of a broader trend of intensified diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Gulf nations.
The trip reflects Pakistan’s efforts to deepen economic partnerships within the Gulf, while regional security concerns have taken on added significance following months of hostilities in the Middle East that directly impacted Bahrain and other Gulf states.
According to a statement from the foreign office, Al Zayani and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will co-chair the third session of the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission in Islamabad.
“The two sides will review the full spectrum of bilateral relations and explore measures to strengthen cooperation across areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, economic collaboration, defense and security, labor, and cultural exchanges,” the office said.
Economic interactions between the two nations have strengthened over the past year. During a visit to Bahrain in November 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif noted that bilateral trade, valued at over $550 million at the time, could rise to $1 billion within three years.
Pakistan has meanwhile requested increased Bahraini investment in food security, information technology, construction, mining, healthcare, renewable energy, and tourism, while more than 150,000 Pakistanis currently reside and work in the Gulf kingdom.
The nations maintain enduring defense and security ties, including collaboration on military training and capacity building. Last year, their interior ministers agreed to enhance cooperation on counterterrorism, human trafficking, and narcotics, alongside improving the effectiveness of a bilateral joint security committee.
Al Zayani’s visit also unfolds against an evolving regional security backdrop following this year’s conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, which extended into Gulf states including Bahrain.
Iran stated it targeted US military facilities in Bahrain and other Gulf states during the conflict, citing retaliation for American strikes on Iranian territory. Bahrain remains a pivotal US security partner in the region and hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
Islamabad condemned the Iranian attacks on Bahrain and other Gulf states while also opposing strikes on Iran, maintaining high-level contacts with regional capitals as it advocated for dialogue and diplomacy to end the fighting.
Earlier this August, the two ministers spoke, during which Al Zayani congratulated Pakistan on its new defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye and conveyed his intention to visit Islamabad.
The foreign office stated the ministers would also discuss regional and international developments, as well as cooperation at multilateral forums, during the stay.
