Pakistan’s economic partnership with the United Arab Emirates has reached a new high after bilateral trade climbed to $10.1 billion, with remittances from the UAE projected to top $7 billion, FPCCI’s Pak-UAE Business Council chairman Diwan Fakhruddin said.
Fakhruddin noted that Pakistan’s exports to the UAE stood at $2.1 billion while imports remained substantially higher, creating a persistent trade imbalance that calls for a strategic approach to growth. He urged policymakers to prioritise diversification of exports to the Emirati market, highlighting value-added textiles, high-quality agricultural goods and IT and IT-enabled services as sectors with strong potential to narrow the gap.
The chairman emphasised the stabilising role of the 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates in the UAE, whose remittances continue to support Pakistan’s external account and act as a vital economic buffer. Strengthening ties with the diaspora, he said, remains central to sustaining the gains from growing Pakistan UAE trade.
On investment, Fakhruddin credited the Special Investment Facilitation Council with accelerating structured Emirati investment into Pakistan, saying the streamlined framework has unlocked progress in sectors long hampered by policy and procedural bottlenecks. The shift in investor focus is beginning to deliver tangible results in areas previously considered too complex for foreign capital.
He called on the government to maintain consistent policies and to move quickly to remove remaining regulatory hurdles, warning that any reversal in reform momentum could put major projects in the pipeline at risk. Policy continuity, Fakhruddin argued, is essential to convert the expanding investment pipeline into sustained economic gains for Pakistan.
Fakhruddin also proposed that outgoing UAE ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi be recognised with a high civilian honour, praising his role as an economic catalyst who helped advance multi-billion-dollar investment commitments. He said such recognition would reflect Pakistan’s appreciation for the UAE leadership and reinforce the depth of bilateral ties with Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner.
