A picture showing $100 bills. SOURCE: REUTERS
Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced a $3 billion additional deposit to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and extended an existing $5b deposit, in a move aimed at supporting the country’s economy.
According to the state news agency SPA, the financial support is intended to enhance Pakistan’s economic stability and strengthen its resilience in the face of global economic changes.
The extension of the $5b deposit and the new $3b injection come as part of ongoing cooperation between the two countries and reflected Saudi Arabia’s continued backing of Pakistan, the agency said.
Earlier today, the SBP said in a post on X that it received $2b from Saudi Arabia’s Finance Ministry with a value date of April 15, 2026, providing support to its foreign exchange reserves as the country faces mounting external payment obligations.
State Bank of Pakistan has received funds of US$2 billion from Ministry of Finance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the value date of 15April2026.
— SBP (@StateBank_Pak) April 16, 2026
The transfer came shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.
The support comes as Pakistan is set to repay $3.5b in debt to the United Arab Emirates by the end of the month.
Anadolu reported last week that Saudi Arabia and Qatar were expected to provide a combined $5b in assistance to help Islamabad ease pressure on reserves and meet external payments by June.
Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves remain under strain due to rising import costs, and officials have warned they could decline further without fresh inflows.
Pakistan’s total liquid foreign exchange reserves stand at about $21.89b, including $16.4b held by the central bank and approximately $5.49b held by commercial banks.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said Pakistan made $1.4b in external payments last week.
