Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will arrive in Riyadh on Nov. 4 to seek financial assistance from Saudi Arabia. Pakistani Ambassador Shahid Kareemullah said Zardari will first arrive in Riyadh and hold talks with King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. President Zardari's visit will further strengthen the already warm bilateral relations between the two countries, the ambassador said. Confirming media reports the envoy minced no words saying that although the agenda of talks has not yet been finalized President Zardari will discuss with King Abdullah the current international financial crisis that has a daunting effect on Pakistan. However, visiting Saudi Arabia – a center of Islam – has been traditionally a priority for any elected Pakistani leader, he added. “The bottom line for Zardari's visit is to seek financial assistance from Saudi Arabia,” Kareemullah said. He said King Abdullah immediately extended invitation after President Zardari expressed his desire to visit Saudi Arabia. This will be President Zardari's first official visit to the Kingdom. Zardari will also go for Umrah and visit the Prophet's Mosque in Madina before leaving Saudi Arabia from there on Nov. 5. The embassy has not yet received the complete list of the members in the delegation but Zardari will head a 37-member delegation that include eight federal ministers and media persons among others, the ambassador said. – SG __
