An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission is arriving in Pakistan on Wednesday for a second and last review of a $3 billion standby arrangement, two sources said.
The four-day review begins on Thursday, said the two finance ministry officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to disclose the information.
Islamabad secured the last-gasped rescue package last summer to avert a sovereign default.
The last review, if successful, will release a tranche of around $1.1 billion.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already directed his finance team, headed by newly installed Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to initiate work on seeking an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) after the standby arrangement expires on April 11.
Aurangzeb told reporters that the team was arriving this week, without mentioning a date, according to the Dawn daily.
The lender has said it will formulate a medium-term programme if Islamabad applies for one.
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, reaffirmed on Tuesday the UAE will continue to increase its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) in 2025, targeting additional countries to maximise benefits for the UAE and its global trade partners.
Chinese stocks dipped on Tuesday, the final trading day of 2024, but were on track for their first annual gain following an unprecedented three-year decline, while Hong Kong shares also ended the year higher.
The UAE's GDP reached AED 879.6 billion in the first half of 2024, recording a 3.6 per cent increase, according to the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre.
The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has received the Startup Ecosystem Stars Award 2024, a global accolade run by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Mind the Bridge in collaboration with the OECD and the European Commission.