The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has decided to resume the yearly oil aid facility worth around $1.5 billion to Pakistan in July, Financial Times reported.
The move is part of Riyadh’s efforts to counter Iran’s influence in the region.
In the previous year, the KSA had asked Pakistan to repay a loan of $3 billion after the latter had pressured the former to criticize India’s cancellation of a loan.
The tensions between the two countries were resolved in May this year after Prime Minister Imran Khan had visited the KSA and met the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The KSA is making diplomatic efforts along with the United States and Qatar to build a front against Iran and had lifted a three-year blockade of Qatar in January as part of the same efforts.
Pakistan has also been making efforts to build diplomatic relations with Turkey – a regional rival of the KSA – along with Malaysia, to create an Islamist bloc to rival the Saudi-led Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
