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ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD) will resume exporting skilled workers to Kuwait, state-run media reported on Monday, after the Gulf country lifted a 19-year visa ban on Islamabad earlier this year. 

In May, Kuwait officially lifted its long-standing visa ban on Pakistani nationals, allowing the resumption of work, family, business and tourist visas. Kuwait had stopped issuing visas to citizens of Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, citing difficult security conditions in the countries.

Thousands of Pakistanis every year travel abroad for jobs in Gulf countries, Europe, the United States and other nations. The remittances sent by Pakistani citizens employed abroad is crucial for the South Asian country to shore up its foreign reserves, especially as it grapples with a prolonged economic crisis. 

“Overseas Employment Corporation, an attached department of the Ministry of OP&HRD, would export skilled workers to the State of Kuwait after a long time,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. “Pakistan has been sending its skilled workers to Kuwait.”

The state media said there were vacancies for the post of a warehouse supervisor, whose maximum age can be 35, and has diploma or a bachelor’s degree and must be fluent in English, in Kuwait. APP said applicants should possess strong customer service skills and have experience working in retail warehouses or logistics companies.

Jobs for the posts of warehouse coordinator, warehouseman, carpenter, and unskilled workers, assistant furniture and drivers were also available, the state-run media said. It said the deadline for the submission of documents by applicants is Aug. 15, 2025.

Pakistan, which enjoys cordial relations with Kuwait and cooperation in several sectors, established diplomatic relations with the Gulf country in October 1963.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday to discuss bilateral matters and regional issues, the foreign ministry said amid improving ties between Islamabad and Washington. 

Pakistan and the US have moved closer since American President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Islamabad and New Delhi after a four-day military conflict in May that left over 70 dead on both sides of the border. In June, Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief for an unprecedented lunch at the White House where both sides discussed the then Iran-Israel conflict and other matters. 

Pakistan announced last week it had finalized a “landmark” trade deal with the US, saying it would pave the way for reduced tariffs and deeper economic ties while Trump separately announced a partnership to develop Pakistan’s oil reserves. 

“The two leaders discussed a range of bilateral matters and exchanged views on current regional & international issues,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said about the Dar-Rubio call. “Both sides agreed to remain in contact and continue cooperation on areas of mutual interest.”

Islamabad’s increasing engagement with Washington is being seen by analysts as a sign of a diplomatic reset after years of estrangement between the two countries. High-level bilateral exchanges between Pakistan and the US gradually faded as American forces withdrew from Afghanistan.

Pakistan considers the US an important trade partner and its top export destination. Pakistan’s exports to the US totaled $5.44 billion in fiscal year 2023-2024, according to official data. From July 2024 to February 2025, exports rose 10 percent from a year earlier.

Pakistan’s government has pushed for trade and economic ties with regional countries and international allies, such as the US, in recent months. The main motivation behind Islamabad’s decision to pursue foreign investment and economic ties is a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has drained Pakistan’s resources.

While the South Asian country has made certain economic gains over the past two years, which includes a reduced inflation rate, Pakistan hopes to achieve a sustained economic growth driven by exports and long-term financial reforms.