Islamabad Airport Operations Transferred to UAE

Pakistan’s Cabinet has approved a significant decision to hand over the operations of Islamabad International Airport to the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions and chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the arrangement will proceed under a government-to-government (G2G) model, which serves as a strategic choice aimed at bypassing the traditional tender process.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Petroleum, the Advisor on Privatization, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, federal secretaries, and senior officials from relevant ministries.

A negotiation committee will be headed by the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Privatization and will include representatives from Ministries of Defence, Finance, Law & Justice, and Privatisation.

Ishaq Dar stated in the meeting, “The government is committed to ensuring that this partnership serves Pakistan’s national interests while improving airport operations to international standards.”

The G2G deal is expected to unlock better management, enhanced service delivery, and increased investor confidence. It also reflects broader strengthening of Pakistan–UAE ties.