Pakistan-Saudi ties: Looking back for the future
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been the two most important political actors within the Muslim world – a regional standing that gets further amplified by the geostrategic location of both countries at important maritime and trade routes. They have also projected strong political ties since the 1970s, when the leadership of both countries came out as tenacious proponents of pan-Islamism.
The bilateral relationship entered a new era when Pakistani special services participated in an operation to eliminate fundamentalist elements that had taken over the Grand Mosque in Makkah, in 1979. This strategic link was further cemented during the Iran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1988. It’s here that Pakistan deployed tens of thousands of its troops in the Kingdom.
Both countries were also erstwhile US allies and had heavily-invested in the Afghan initiative against the Soviet occupation. These episodes not only created a proximity between the Saudi leadership and Pakistan’s political class, but also enhanced ties at the security-level for both states. A visit by Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the-then Defense Minister of Pakistan’s nuclear and missile facilities, helped realize the level of trust between the two nations.
Interestingly, even though both countries enjoy solid political and strategic ties, the nature of their relationship has always remained personal. The camaraderie displayed by the Saudi royalty and Pakistani rulers was the bed rock of their relationship, so much so that the bottom line was always defined by the state of affairs in the upper echelons.
It was only in the religious sphere that people-to-people contact and a relatively apolitical interaction took place, with Pakistani students thronging religious institutions in the Kingdom. All that began to change in the 1970s when Pakistanis began arriving in the country in droves. Over the years, overseas Pakistanis have been credited for changing the fabric of the country by contributing toward its development.
However, neither these changes nor the personal ties between the ruling classes could transcend to a degree where mutual interests could align themselves in a more structural manner. The only domain where such an engagement has been visible is in the security sphere, but that has also been impacted by recent political developments in both countries. This was most evident in the case of the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen when the Pakistani parliament declined Saudi’s request to send troops.
There are several examples to fall back on if we must move forward to strengthen bilateral ties.
Umer Karim
What followed was a downturn which showed the limits of personalization and highlighted factors which ultimately play a bigger role in determining the nature of a bilateral relationship. There has been some realization, on the part of both countries, that such an approach is not viable in the long run, with efforts in place to focus on areas of cooperation.
A prime example of this can be attributed to Saudi’s interest in becoming a part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) --- a subsidiary project of the Chinese One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. Saudi Arabia and China have enhanced their partnership in the energy domain and the Kingdom remains one of China’s biggest oil exporters.
If Saudi Arabia joins hands with the CPEC, the strategic importance of Gwadar port will quadruple, making it the ideal transfer hub for Saudi’s crude shipments to China. Furthermore, the Kingdom can become a partner in developing Pakistan’s petrochemical sector, especially since it has already expressed interest in the construction of the north-south gas pipeline within the country. The offshore oil and gas sector is emerging as a positive prospect and any involvement by Saudi could further embed the Kingdom within Pakistan.
It is pertinent to note that both countries have already established a joint ministerial commission — an entity which needs to be made even more functional and pro-active if business fraternities on both sides are looking to strengthen partnerships. An enhanced banking sector could help in this regard, while the Kingdom’s investments in the infrastructure and housing sector could facilitate an economic partnership.
Pakistan’s new government has been quite vocal about the housing issue in the country, with plans in place to construct five million low-cost housing units. If this project is brought to fruition, Saudi investors can consider taking part in the project, which in turn could help the food, textile and agricultural sectors in realizing their investment potential.
For bilateral ties to stand the test of time, they need to be founded by the people and not merely governments — something which is possible by creating more awareness about the cultures of both countries. There is a need for an institution that can support cultural activities by promoting educational and research initiatives with a prime focus on politics and society.
By doing this, we can begin to raise a generation of people who can not only hone their neighbor’s skills but would also be equipped with the necessary knowledge to boost political and strategic partnerships between the two countries.
– Umar Karim is a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham. His research focuses on the evolution of Saudi Arabia’s strategic outlook, Saudi-Iran tussle, conflict in Syria, the geopolitics of Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. @UmarKarim89
