Kuwait National Guard Commander Sheikh Mubarak Hamoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Pakistani Ambassador Dr. Zafar Iqbal on June 22 in Kuwait City where the two officials discussed a number of topics of mutual interest and reviewed the state of bilateral relations, Arab Times reported. Sheikh Mubarak welcomed the ambassador during the meeting that reflected the friendly ties between Kuwait and Pakistan along with their continued cooperation in areas of shared concern. The discussions took place as the countries pursue expanded collaboration across diplomatic and security domains.
Arab Times reported that the session allowed both sides to express satisfaction with the trajectory of their partnership without disclosing further specifics from the agenda. The newspaper’s account positioned the meeting as part of routine high-level contacts maintained between Kuwaiti security institutions and Pakistani representatives. Such encounters help sustain momentum in a relationship that spans several decades of joint initiatives.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the two countries signed a defence cooperation agreement in June 2023 to broaden military relations. The document was signed by Ambassador Malik Muhammad Farooq for Pakistan and Brigadier General Fawaz Khudair Muhammad Al-Harbi for Kuwait with a Pakistani military delegation also present. The ministry’s summary indicated the pact would facilitate training programs, defense dialogues and capacity-building efforts between the armed forces.
Kuwaiti government figures from 2016 placed the number of Pakistani nationals in the country at 109,853 according to official demographic records. That community ranks among the larger expatriate groups within a total population where non-Kuwaitis constitute roughly two-thirds of residents based on Central Statistical Bureau data. Pakistanis have contributed to multiple sectors of Kuwait’s economy for many years.
Wikipedia’s entry on Kuwait-Pakistan relations drawing from historical records notes that Pakistani forces participated in the 1991 liberation of Kuwait following the Iraqi invasion. The involvement formed an early pillar of the security partnership that has endured through subsequent agreements and exchanges. Officials from both nations have referenced this history during later bilateral meetings.
The Kuwaiti Army General Staff reported that a May 2026 meeting between Lieutenant General Khaled Al Shuraian and Pakistani Brigadier Naveed Qalb-i-Abbas examined ways to strengthen joint military cooperation. The discussion also covered broader bilateral relations and regional security issues of mutual interest. It aligned with prior engagements including a 2022 visit by Pakistan’s Director General of Foreign Military Cooperation to the National Guard.
The U.S. State Department assessment of security cooperation with Kuwait mentions that the National Guard partners with international allies on counterterrorism training and exercises. Comparable programs with Pakistan emphasize professional military exchanges and capacity development as referenced in diplomatic summaries from both sides. The ambassador’s meeting with the National Guard commander adds a diplomatic dimension to these ongoing security ties.
