Pakistan Asks for Saudi Help
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zadari visited Saudi Arabia in early November to request funds for the Pakistani economy that is in currently in desperate need. Pakistan has many trade and budget deficits that Zadari hopes Saudi Arabia will assist with, considering their past relationships. According to BBC, despite two years of deferred oil payments, Zadari is expected to ask for Saudi oil shipments against those postponements.
An international group, the Friends of Pakistan (FOP), which includes Saudi Arabia, China, France, the US, the UK and the UAE, met in Abu Dhabi to develop ideas to steady the Pakistani economy. The rules and procedures of the FOP prevent the nations from helping Pakistan to fully raise the $5 billion needed to fulfill its debts. Zadari has put off a loan from the International Monetary Fund as a last resort, hoping a Saudi oil facility will provide a loan.
Brandie Gordon
