Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday announced the establishment of a Special Saudi Industrial City in the province, offering a 10-year tax holiday, 10-year income tax exemption, and one-time customs duty waiver to Saudi investors.

The announcement came during a meeting with a delegation of the Saudi-Pak Joint Business Council led by Prince Mansour bin Mohammad bin Saad Al Saud.

The delegation was briefed on the Punjab government’s major initiatives and flagship development projects.

Welcoming the Saudi guests in Arabic, CM Maryam highlighted vast investment opportunities in Punjab and assured full government support for Saudi investors.

“We are implementing a ‘zero time to start’ policy to facilitate investors with swift approvals and ease of doing business,” she said.

She further announced that a fast-track facilitation cell would be set up in the Chief Minister’s Office for the Saudi Industrial City to ensure smooth coordination and speedy processing of investment-related matters.

The Saudi delegation appreciated Punjab’s public welfare projects and expressed keen interest in investment across sectors, including livestock, mines, infrastructure, and information technology.

The chief minister noted that Pakistan’s historic defence cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia reflects an unshakable resolve to safeguard the “Haramain Sharifain”.

“Protecting the Haramain is not a strategy — it is an honour and a sacred duty,” she remarked.

CM Maryam said Saudi Arabia’s visionary leadership has elevated the standing of the Muslim Ummah and that her father, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, shares a decades-long relationship of mutual trust with the Kingdom.

During the meeting, the Punjab Mass Transit Authority also offered to provide operational services for the Al-Mashhar and Al-Muqaddasah Metro Train projects in Makkah.

Prince Mansour praised the leadership of CM Maryam, calling her “inspiring” and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Pakistan.

“We are not just investing — we are assisting our brothers,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia counts Pakistan among its top three partners.

He thanked the Punjab government for the warm hospitality and said the delegation looks forward to enhanced collaboration in trade, industry, and infrastructure.