Unprecedented royal visit

Saudi crown prince's visit comes at a time when the region is witnessing a real churn in geo-politics

Islamabad is hoping to attract oodles of investment money as Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in the country on Sunday with a retinue of princes, ministers and top executives to a grand welcome. As the powerful royal’s aircraft touched down the Nur Khan Airbase, Chaklala, a red carpet was rolled out for the high-profile dignitary. The crown prince had originally been due to arrive on Saturday, but late Friday the Foreign Office released a statement saying the visit had been delayed by one day, with the programme unchanged. Banners heralding the crown prince were already lining the streets of the capital. Police, the armed forces, and the Saudi Royal Guards are providing security during the visit.

The rare visit of the crown prince comes at a time when the region is witnessing a real churn in geo-politics, with the Afghan Taliban holding talks with the United States to bring to an end the 17-year-old bloody conflict. His arrival comes soon after Abu Dhabi’s crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan was in town. The UAE pledged to provide $6 billion to support Pakistan’s economy. In total, Pakistan is hoping to get $30 billion in loans and investments from the two Arab nations, the Wall Street Journal has reported. While a clearer picture will emerge in a couple of days as to what deals are to be signed while the prince is in Pakistan, an oil refinery in the port city of Gwadar appears certain to attract the largest chunk of investment cash. A Foreign Office spokesman said Islamabad is also seeking to sign a number of other deals, including one combating organised crime. Prime Minister Imran Khan has been cozying up to the Gulf monarchs for months as he seeks to head off a balance of payments crisis and reduce the size of any potential bailout from the International Monetary Fund. The visit of crown prince provides him the right opportunity to pursue his agenda of steadying the nation’s fiscal ship by attracting loans and investment from the closest Arab ally.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2019.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.