KARACHI – The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has confirmed the receipt of $1 billion from the Ministry of Finance of Saudi Arabia, marking the second and final tranche of a $3 billion deposit facility agreed between the two countries .
The central bank announced that the funds were credited with a value date of April 20, 2026. The first tranche of $2 billion had already been received on April 15, completing the full disbursement of Saudi Arabia’s financial commitment within a short span .
The agreement was finalized during the IMF–World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., where Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb confirmed the $3 billion support package. Alongside the new deposit, Saudi Arabia also extended its existing $5 billion deposit for a longer term, removing the previous annual rollover condition .
The inflows are expected to play a critical role in strengthening Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves. The SBP aims to achieve approximately $18 billion in reserves—equivalent to 3.3 months of import cover—by June 2026, in line with commitments under the IMF programme .
SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad recently briefed global investors that Pakistan’s macroeconomic indicators have improved faster than expected, with inflation averaging 5.7% during the first nine months of FY26 and the current account remaining in surplus .
Finance Minister Aurangzeb noted that the Saudi support would reinforce Pakistan’s external account and maintain confidence in the country’s ability to meet its external obligations, particularly as Pakistan recently repaid its $1.4 billion Eurobond and cleared other international liabilities
