Commerce minister invites Qatari investors to Karachi economic zone

Pakistan's commerce minister invited Qatari investors to the country's Special Economic Zones, naming the Karachi industrial area in particular, as he held a series of meetings in Doha on the sidelines of the World Investment Forum 2026, the commerce ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Jam Kamal Khan met the secretary-general of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Qatar's minister of municipality, the chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industries and representatives of Retaj Group over October 25 and 26, according to the statement.

At the Qatar Chamber, the minister asked Qatari businesses to expand business-to-business contacts with Pakistani counterparts and presented the SEZs, especially the Karachi industrial area, as sites for export-oriented manufacturing that would give investors access to domestic and international markets. He also cited Pakistan's location as a route to wider regional markets, including Africa, through trade connectivity and supply-chain links.

The chamber's chairman pointed to changing global supply-chain dynamics and expressed interest in proposed regional transit routes and connectivity initiatives, the statement said. Both sides said better logistics infrastructure and diversified supply chains would reduce commercial barriers and open new markets.

Retaj Group told the minister it was interested in exploring joint ventures with Pakistani business partners and in expanding its hospitality brands into Pakistan and other "brotherly Islamic countries". The discussion covered investment partnerships and hospitality-sector development.

In the meeting with the D-8 secretary-general on October 25, Jam Kamal discussed measures to deepen economic integration among member states. The secretary-general acknowledged Pakistan's continued support for the organisation and stressed implementing the D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement following its ratification by Egypt. Both sides called for turning existing cooperation frameworks into commercial opportunities through private-sector participation and improved market access.

On October 26, the minister and Qatar's minister of municipality discussed agriculture, food security and bilateral trade, with both sides pointing to cooperation between government institutions and private companies along food supply chains.

The ministry's statement did not give figures for any investment or name any agreement signed.

Separately, the outlet Investify published a headline saying Pakistan is eyeing US investment in refineries and LNG; the report carried no further detail.