UAE expands Pakistan investments with new agreements in mining, banking, infrastructure

The UAE inked four agreements with Pakistan to enhance cooperation in natural resources, financial services, and infrastructure, as part of an effort to strengthen bilateral economic ties, according to an Abu Dhabi Media Office statement. The agreements were finalized during Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Islamabad last week, where he met with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

ICYMI- The Abu Dhabi crown prince visited Pakistan for the first time last Thursday, leading a delegation of ministers and business leaders to boost investments in the country and ink several agreements and MoUs.

A rundown of the agreements:

#1- Copper and gold exploration: International Holding Company’s (IHC) mining investment arm International Resources Holding signed an agreement with Pakistani energy firm Mari Energies to explore copper and gold reserves in Balochistan’s Chagai district, one of Pakistan’s most resource-rich areas. The project aims to support local economic development and secure critical minerals for future industries.

#2- Financial sector expansion: Eve Holding RCS, a subsidiary of IHC’s 2PointZero, agreed to acquire an 82.64% stake in First Women Bank Limited, a state-owned commercial bank serving women through 42 branches across Pakistan. The acquisition, which is part of Pakistan’s privatization push, is expected to boost financial inclusion — particularly for women-led businesses — and strengthen UAE-Pakistan banking ties.

#3- Railway cooperation: Etihad Rail and Pakistan’s Railways Ministry signed MoUs to ramp up the operational efficiency of Pakistan’s rail network and explore the development of a new railway network to improve connectivity and support economic growth.

#4- SEZ development: AD Ports Group signed an MoU with the Pakistan Board of Investment to explore the development of a special economic zone (SEZ) near Karachi Port and Port Qasim to boost regional trade and economic activity.

#5- The firm also inked three separate agreements in digitalization, maritime services, and freight forwarding to expand its footprint in Pakistan’s logistics sector:

• Digitalization: AD Ports Group’s Maqta Technologies and Pakistan’s PSW will partner — in collaboration with Pakistan’s Customs Services — to strengthen Pakistan’s Sing Window systems, modernize border services, and analyze cross-border systems.
• Maritime services: AD Ports and Pakistani industrial development conglomerate Bahria Foundation will pair up to bolster the productivity of dredging, marine services, and vessel pooling at Karachi Port.
• Freight forwarding: AD Ports’ freight forwarding subsidiary Noatum Logistics and its JV with Pakistan’s Kaheel Terminals, dubbed Karachi Gateway Terminal Multipurpose (KGTL), will partner to offer logistics solutions across air, ocean, and inland transport — including warehousing and distribution — to advance Pakistan’s existing inland trade corridors into Central Asia.

REMEMBER- AD Ports has acquired logistics businesses in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Georgia — which would all strategically benefit from Pakistan serving as a middle corridor linking Asia and Europe.

AD Ports ♥️’s Pakistan: AD Ports Group inked a 25-year concession agreement last year to operate and manage more berths at the Eastern Wharf of Karachi Port, building on a 50-year concession agreement inked in 2023. AD Ports’ JV with UAE-based Kaheel Terminals, dubbed Karachi Gateway Terminal Multipurpose, will also invest some USD 175 mn in the port in seven years to boost the terminal’s capacity by 75%.