Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is set to arrive in Pakistan on 26 December 2025, for a landmark state visit aimed at deepening economic cooperation and bilateral relations. The visit the first of its kind by a UAE president comes as Islamabad seeks to attract foreign investment and expand strategic partnerships across the Gulf region. The visit will focus on enhancing trade, investment, energy cooperation, and development initiatives, as well as reviewing “the entire spectrum of bilateral ties” in meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior officials. The UAE is one of Pakistan’s key economic partners, currently ranked among its top trading partners and investors. 

Context: Pakistan-Saudi Strategic Security Pact

The upcoming visit follows a major diplomatic event earlier this year: the signing of a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025. Under this pact, any attack against either country would be considered an attack on both, framing a collective security arrangement with significant regional implications. 

Analysts suggest that although the UAE visit is primarily economic in nature, security cooperation could also feature in discussions, especially given Islamabad’s recent moves to........

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