Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif made a bilateral visit to Saudi Arabia, marking an change from the attendance at two Summits which had provided opportunities for sideline meetings, As it is, this may be seen as a first-anniversary visit, which parallels the visit Min Shahbaz made around a year ago, marking his first foreign visit after taking office. That particular visit was followed by a series of visits by Saudi delegations, reflecting both an intensification of the relationship as well as a transformation of its nature. However, the basis of the relationship remains security, something that figured prominently in the discussions between Mr Sharif and the Saudi PM, Crown Prince Muhmmad bin Salman.
There are both old ties, and then there are new ones. The old relationship was the sending of labour to Saudi Arabia. The large number of overseas Pakistanis not only allowed Pakistan to benefit from the remittances sent home, but also enabled Saudi Arabia to maintain the fast pace of development it has achieved for the last several decades. However, there has now been a change, with Pakistan, from being a source of labour, becoming a destination for investment. It should be noted that the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council has led to the interest of Saudi investors in mineral development, corporate farming and other enterprises. It should be noted that Pakistan’s progress in software export is based on sales to the Middle East. Though the emphasis has shifted from trade to aid, it should not be forgotten that Saudi Arabia has continued to fulfill that role, and has always been friend in need. It should not be forgotten that the IMF only granted Pakistan its latest EFF of $ 7 billion after certain rollovers were made by Saudi Arabia.
The visit may have a prominent religious component, which explains why the bilateral meetings were held on arrival. That the visit did not contain any dramatic announcement of new projects or new initiatives, it probably indicates that projects already in the pipeline occupy the attention of the national leaders. That might explain why the Saudi Crown Prince went so far as to reassure Mr Sharif about the treatment of Pakistani nationals in Saudi Arabia. An important aspect that must have come up is that of the latest developments in Gaza, and the OIC-Arab League plan for its reconstruction. That these two leading Muslim states shown concern about a third, shows how inter connected they are.
