Pakistan and Saudi Arabia: Deference, Dependence, and Deterrence.

Many of the transactional features that mark Pakistan's relations with Saudi Arabia are familiarly strategic and economic. But there also exists a qualitative dimension to what draws together these two Islamic states. This article points to how each country has been able to compensate for the other's resource deficits even when national interests diverge their unique spiritual bonding ensures a strong measure of continuity in their relationship. These ties are nonetheless regularly tested by the difficult choices Saudi Arabia's Iran-centric policies can create for Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]