Islamabad, Jan 19, 2026: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that there are currently 3,523 Pakistani citizens incarcerated in the UAE with 1,050 of them being held in various prisons and rehabilitation centers in Abu Dhabi.
As of November 2025, legal assistance had been extended to 769 prisoners, while amnesty petitions for Pakistani detainees were regularly submitted. In 2025 alone, 350 amnesty applications were sent to the UAE government.
These details of Pakistani prisoners in Saudi Arabia were also shared with the National Assembly. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reported that there are 11,009 Pakistani prisoners across various Saudi prisons. Of these, 5,297 are located within the jurisdiction of the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh, while 5,712 are in the western region of the country. The government is taking steps to ensure legal assistance for all detainees.
Minister Dar also highlighted that 2.18 million Pakistanis reside in the UAE, making them the second-largest foreign community in the country. He emphasized that Pakistan’s diplomatic missions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are providing full consular and welfare services to the community.
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