The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has existed as a monolithic picture of stability in the region ever since the modern state came into being in 1932. Their unique government structure has prioritised continuity over conflict, and as a result its foreign policy is similarly multifaceted, engaging with a diverse cast of nation states, promoting economic linkages and diplomatic ties over unilateral aggressive actions. Coupled with its custodianship of Islam’s most holy sites, the Kingdom has been an influential proponent of Islamic conservatism in the Muslim world – backed by its oil-based economic powerhouse.
All that has changed with the meteoric ascent of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The decades of passive diplomacy seem to be over. Under the young prince Saudi Arabia has revitalised itself as an active player in the region. Along with a robust foreign policy came a slew of reforms, which aim to alter the conservatism in its legal system – at fact has often been a controversial impediment in the Kingdom’s dealings with the wider world. Perhaps the most crucial change among all of this is Saudi Arabia’s tilt away from being a solely oil-based economy to a more diversified one. The ambitious Vision 2030 not only lays down a roadmap set to transform the Arab world’s largest economy, but projects like the proposed $500 billion futuristic city by the Red Sea called Neom paints a picture of what this new, modern world will look like.
With the lands surrounding the Bādiyat al-Shām desert in the Middle East in turmoil, an active, modern and progressive Saudi Arabia is the need of the hour. With Pakistan also going through seismic changes as the war in Afghanistan winds down and the country looks to open new economic avenues, the two states have the perfect opportunity to deepen their decades old relationship.
“Regional Connectivity” appears to be the key word in most Asian and Middle Eastern diplomatic statements in the recent past. Stepping away from ideological national allegiances that had been the legacy of the Cold War, nation states are seeking to reengage with their estranged neighbours. The inherent logic of this approach is undeniable; not only will this new interwoven economic landscape make conflicts less likely it will bring prosperity and development to all parties – in many ways similar to how the European Union has prospered. Following the advent of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Pakistan has become one of the first adopters of this new mantra. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) connects the Chinese mainland from beyond the impenetrable Himalayas to the Arabian Sea, laying down industry along the way. Landlocked Central Asian states such as Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will also benefit immensely from this new infrastructure leading to the sea. The logical conclusion of this initiative is to extend the connectivity beyond the port city of Gwadar – which is the endpoint of CPEC – into the wider Middle East and Africa.
It is with this purpose in mind that Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Saudi Arabia in the early days of his tenure, and this same purpose has led to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visiting Pakistan.
The Crown Prince will find that he is welcomed to Pakistan with utmost graciousness. The two countries share bonds that go beyond the transactional diplomacy witnessed between other countries. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are united by culture, religion, and mutual friendship that stretch back decades while the mutual military pacts between the two nations have remained unbreakable since their inception. The cooperation between the two militaries is extensive and well established; Pakistani troops guarding the Kingdom’s borders and Saudi officers coming to train in Kakul – Pakistan’s military officer’s academy – are proud traditions set in stone. It is only natural that these two nations seek to improve the economic cooperation between them.
As such the Crown Prince’s visit is an important milestone. If the expected economic deals come through, which have been described as the “biggest-ever Saudi investments in Pakistan,” by a senior finance ministry official, the effects on the country’s economy will be immense.
Pakistan’s vast population of young individuals – many of whom work in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States – will be watching this meeting with a keen eye. The future of both nations, as well as their citizens, rests on the continued strength of the Saudi-Pak Alliance