Pakistan, Saudi Arabia sign $20b agreements as crown prince arrives in Islamabad

Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman meets Prime Minister Imran Khan after arriving in Pakistan. Photo: PTI/Twitter Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed agreements worth $20 billion after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman arrived in Islamabad on Sunday evening.  He has come to Pakistan for a two-day visit and preparations for his visit have been completed. The crown prince was received by Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the Nur Khan Airbase. The premier drove the crown prince to PM House himself, like he did with the UAE crown prince. [caption id="attachment_1688747" align="alignnone" width="640"] PM Imran Khan drives Saudi crown prince to PM House. Photo: PID[/caption] Muhammad Bin Salman was presented with a guard of honour and a ceremony was held in his honour at PM House. The crown prince and PM Khan signed memorandums of understanding worth $20 billion in different fields,  including mineral, chemicals, agriculture, food processing among others. Related: We cannot say no to Pakistan, says Saudi crown prince Prior to his arrival, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir arrived in Pakistan. He was received by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. "HRH Crown Prince starts his tour to Pakistan, a country that we have historic ties with," said Adel al-Jubeir in a tweet. "This visit will expand the prospects for fruitful cooperation to achieve the aspirations of the two countries." [caption id="attachment_1688562" align="alignnone" width="640"] Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi receives Saudi counterpart at Noor Khan Airbase. Photo: PTI/Twitter[/caption] Eleven aeroplanes carrying Saudi dignitaries arrived at the airport. The teams who arrived before the prince includes an advance team who took care of the security arrangements at the airbase and a group of his personal doctors. Related: It is now cheaper for Pakistanis to travel to Saudi Arabia Banners featuring his picture have been hung across the capital and strict security arrangements have been made. The army, Rangers and police will all be handling security on Sunday and Monday. There will be strict checks at entry and exit points in the city and check posts have been set up on main roads. The Red Zone will be completely sealed and a separate traffic plan has been issued for the joint cities. Pillion riding has been banned in Islamabad’s Red Zone, Murree Road (Faizabad to Bhara Kahu), Express Highway, Blue Area and Kashmir Highway (Zero Point to Dhokri Chowk) for two days (February 17 and 18). A public holiday has also been declared on Monday in light of his visit. The crown prince’s portraits have been hung on the Parliament building. The portraits measure 120 feet by 45 feet. [caption id="attachment_1688397" align="alignnone" width="640"] Saudi crown prince's portraits have been put up across Islamabad. Photo: AFP[/caption] An actual red carpet has been prepared at the Noor Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, where the prince’s plane is scheduled to arrive. The carpeted stairs were transported to the airbase from the Islamabad Airport. Related: Government takes action against social media users for ‘maligning’ Saudi crown prince’s visit Prince Salman will be meeting the president, prime minister, Senate chairperson and army chief during his visit. On Sunday a dinner party will be held in his honour at PM House and another will be held on Monday night at President House. During the prince’s visit, it is expected that there will be an announcement of further Saudi investment in the country. The foreign office has confirmed that the two countries will be signing multiple memorandums of understanding during the prince’s visit. Follow SAMAA English on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.