Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Arabia’s envoy to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki, in Islamabad on 2 July. Sharif thanked the kingdom for its role in brokering and maintaining the Pakistan-India cease-fire understanding and for wider efforts to de-escalate conflicts in the Middle East. He also conveyed greetings to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, recalling a phone conversation with the crown prince on 24 June that covered regional security. As Pakistan assumes the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for July, Sharif said Islamabad would rely on Riyadh’s backing to ensure a smooth term. The ambassador expressed Saudi support and praised Pakistan’s contribution to regional stability. The two sides reviewed economic cooperation, highlighting a proposed Pakistan-Saudi ‘digital corridor’ and a Rs4.8 billion public-sector programme to train more than 7,000 young Pakistanis in semiconductor technologies. Officials said the initiative would feed into Saudi Arabia’s planned National Semiconductor Hub and future joint ventures in artificial intelligence and computing.