ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain on Monday conferred the prestigious Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence) on the Commander of the Royal Saudi Navy, Adm. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily. Pakistan’s Nishan-e-Imtiaz is awarded to civilians and military personnel for the “highest degree of service to the state and for services to international diplomacy.” “Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are the closest of friends and the depth of their relationship is difficult to describe in words,” the president said in a statement following the ceremony. “The Pakistan Navy and the Royal Saudi Navy stand beside each other in the hour of need,” the statement continued, adding that cooperation between the two navies will “yield far-reaching and beneficial impacts.” Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff, Adm. Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Maliki were also present at the investiture ceremony, alongside a number of senior officials, both military and civilian. A statement released by the presidential office after the event said: “There are not only close ties between the governments of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, but also between the people of the two countries. The sincere friendship between the two countries will further grow in the coming days." Last week, Islamabad and Riyadh agreed to enhance bilateral economic cooperation during the 11th Saudi-Pakistan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting in Islamabad. The president expressed pleasure at the ongoing development process in Saudi Arabia under the leadership of King Salman, and said it would “be a source of welfare for the masses.”