Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan held a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Tunisia on Thursday, November 5, 2026, on the sidelines of the 42nd session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) in Istanbul, as Pakistan looks to deepen trade and investment ties across the region.
What happened?
Khan arrived in Istanbul this week to attend the COMCEC session, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s forum for economic and commercial cooperation among member states. On the sidelines, he met Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Governor for International Organizations and Agreements, Fareed S. Alasaly; Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Farid Saleh; and Tunisia’s Minister of Trade and Export Development, Samir Abid. He also met Türkiye’s Trade Minister, Prof Dr Omer Bolat. The commerce ministry shared details of the meetings in a statement on Thursday.
Key details
- Saudi Arabia: Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and industrial development, including human resource development, livestock and food security. Khan proposed joint ventures between Pakistani and Saudi companies and suggested the two countries’ leading businesses explore trade opportunities in African markets. He invited the Saudi representative to visit Pakistan for the upcoming FoodAg exhibition to explore opportunities in agriculture, livestock and food-related industries.
- Egypt: The two sides discussed bilateral trade, investment and industrial cooperation, particularly in the cotton and textile sectors. Saleh highlighted investment opportunities in Egypt and encouraged Pakistani companies to explore manufacturing and industrial partnerships. He also pointed to Egypt’s preferential trade arrangements with the United States, which could offer Pakistani investors a route to the American market, and requested details of Pakistani companies expected to take part in an upcoming business forum.
- Tunisia: Talks focused on expanding cooperation in agriculture, minerals, textiles, auto parts and manufacturing, with both sides recognising considerable opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.
- Türkiye: The talks focused on expanding bilateral trade and promoting Pakistani agricultural products.
- The commerce ministry said the engagements reflected Pakistan’s continued efforts to strengthen economic diplomacy, diversify export markets and attract investment.
What it means for people in Pakistan
New joint ventures and manufacturing partnerships could open fresh markets for Pakistani exporters, particularly in textiles and agriculture, and bring investment into local industry. For businesses, the talks signal more avenues to reach buyers in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond, though any deals will take time to materialise.
