Newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia and China on his first foreign trip after taking charge, a Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader has said.

According to the media outlet, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s first foreign visit has often been to Saudi Arabia and China due to the country’s strategic relationship with both. According to sources, PM Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Saudi Arabia will perform Umrah and meet the Saudi leadership.

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Saudi Arabia in the past has extended financial bailout packages to successive Pakistani governments, in fact, Riyadh gave former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government a USD 6 billion bailout package.

It is unclear if the new premier will also seek financial assistance, given that Saudi Arabia provided USD 3 billion dollars to Pakistan not long ago, The News International reported.

While after the Saudi visit, the premier is also expected to travel to China.

According to The News International, Shehbaz is known to enjoy a good reputation amongst the Chinese leadership because of his administrative qualities. During the previous PML-N tenure, Shehbaz played a central role in accelerating China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday after being elected by the National Assembly of the country.