Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister to Visit Pakistan

Saudi Arabian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir will visit Pakistan today to speak with Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry about bilateral cooperation, commerce and regional security.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud expects to visit Pakistan in July. Al-Jubeir intends to finalize his agenda today.

Following Pakistani President Imran Khan’s May visit to Saudi Arabia, Al-Jubeir’s visit comes as the two Muslim nations reset relations. A 2019 attempt by Pakistan to pressure Saudi Arabia on Kashmir soured Riyadh’s relationship with Islamabad, and in response Saudi Arabia recalled a $3.4 billion loan and Saudi allies penalized Pakistanis working abroad. As penance, Pakistan more openly backed Saudi efforts to contain Iran, a major regional threat.

Expect today’s talks to produce a definitive agenda for Al-Saud’s July visit, especially concerning Saudi foreign investment in Pakistan. As of May 2021, only $500 million of an initial $20 billion of FDI—announced in 2019—has been financed. One likely opportunity is a $10 billion oil refinery in Gwadar, on which progress stagnated during the diplomatic chill. Another likely topic is the Iranian threat. Expect the announcement of further talks concerning closer strategic military coordination as a likely outcome.