ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has conveyed Pakistan’s interest in boosting trade and investment with Oman across several key sectors, including information technology, construction, healthcare, food security, and energy, state media reported on Wednesday.
As part of a broader push to strengthen economic ties with Gulf countries, Pakistan is actively seeking to expand its footprint in regional markets and attract foreign investment. Oman, seen as a strategically important Gulf nation, is central to this outreach.
During a meeting with Omani Ambassador to Pakistan, Fahad Sulaiman Khalaf Al Kharusi, President Zardari discussed avenues for enhancing bilateral cooperation, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
“Pakistan is keen to increase bilateral trade and investment in areas such as IT, construction, healthcare, food security, and energy,” APP quoted the president as saying. He also emphasized that greater government-to-government engagement could help foster stronger private-sector partnerships, leading to increased trade and investment flows.
Zardari encouraged greater high-level engagement between the two countries to further cement the longstanding cordial relations.
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Pakistan has seen growing foreign interest in its key economic sectors, particularly IT and renewable energy, with substantial investments pledged in recent months. The country is also courting Gulf investors through platforms such as Arab Health 2025, aiming to expand medical tourism and healthcare innovation.
The diplomatic and economic momentum has been marked by a series of high-level visits and investment talks with Gulf and Middle Eastern countries. Last August, Pakistan invited Oman to invest in its agriculture and mineral sectors through a newly established hybrid civil-military body dedicated to attracting foreign capital.