ISLAMABAD: Saudi ambassador Nawaf Saeed Al Malkiy told Chairman of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), General Asim Saleem Bajwa, that Saudi investors were keen to put money into the second phase of CPEC projects, Bajwa said in a Twitter post on Saturday.
Beijing has pledged over $60 billion as part of the CPEC, which involves the construction of power stations, roads, new railways and bigger ports to help turn Pakistan into a major overland route linking western China to the world.
“Meeting with H.E. Nawaf Saeed Al Malkiy, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. Reaffirmed brotherly support & informed that Saudi investors are keen about 2nd phase of CPEC to invest in various sectors including energy, oil & gas, food security & SEZs,” Bajwa tweeted.
Meeting with H.E. Nawaf Saeed Al Malkiy,Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan.Reaffirmed brotherly support &informed that Saudi investors are keen about 2nd phase of CPEC to invest in various sectors including energy,oil &gas,food security &SEZs#CPEC#prosperouspakistan pic.twitter.com/zzWLXKP8I8
— Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimSBajwa) February 15, 2020
Last year, the Saudi energy minister announced the kingdom planned to set up a $10 billion oil refinery in Pakistan’s deepwater port of Gwadar-- the Indian Ocean port that is being developed with the help of China as part of CPEC.
In 2018, after the maiden visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to Saudi Arabia, Islamabad announced the kingdom would be the third “strategic partner” in the multi-billion dollar CPEC.