AlQa'dah 10, 1433, Sep 26, 2012, SPA - Saudi-Pakistani Joint Committee started the meetings of its 9th session here today . The delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was headed by the Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah and the Pakistani side by Minister of Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim. Addressing the meeting, Dr. Al-Rabiah pointed out that the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries amounted to SR 18 billion in 2011, an increase of more than 31% from the previous year. He said, "One of the tributaries of the economy in the Kingdom relies on about one million Pakistanis in various sector. The Kingdom also receives every year about 200,000 pilgrims and more than 500,000 Umrah performers." In his speech, the Pakistani Minister of Commerce said that the meeting will strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields.