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The bilateral relations between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are historically close and extremely friendly, occasionally described as constituting a special relationship. Pakistan has been called "Saudi Arabia's closest Muslim ally."〔>〕 Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have sought to develop extensive commercial, cultural, religious, political, and strategic relations since the establishment of Pakistan in 1947. Pakistan affirms its relationship with Saudi Arabia as their most "important and bilateral partnership" in the current foreign policy of Pakistan, working and seeking to develop closer bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia, the largest country on the Arabian peninsula and host to the two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina and the destination of Muslim pilgrims from across the world. According to a ''Pew Research Center'' survey, Pakistanis hold the most favorable perception of the desert kingdom in the world, with 95 percent of respondents viewing Saudi Arabia favorably.〔(Saudi Arabia’s Image Falters among Middle East Neighbors ) ''Pew Research Global Attitudes Project''〕 With one of the largest armies in the world and as the only declared nuclear power among the Muslim states, Pakistan has maintained a unique position to assist Saudi Arabia with its defense needs. The ''BBC'' claimed in 2013 that Saudi Arabia has invested in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons projects. Both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia denied the report.〔( Saudi-Pakistan Military Ties Getting Stronger )〕 The kingdom has often tried to woo Pakistan by giving it gifts and loans, for example in 2014 it gifted Pakistan 200 tonnes of dates.〔(Grand gesture: Saudi Arabia gifts 200 tons of dates to Pakistan )〕 Pakistan’s current Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif enjoys exceptionally close ties with senior members of the Saudi royal family. When Sharif was toppled in the bloodless ''1999 Pakistani coup d'état'', Saudi Arabia intervened; and military chief Pervez Musharraf allowed Sharif and his family to travel into exile in Saudi Arabia. On 2 April 2014, ''Pakistan Today'' reported that Pakistan will sell JF-17 Thunder jets to Saudi Arabia, after the kingdom had given a grant of $1.5 billion to Pakistan in early 2014.〔(Pakistan to return Saudi favor with arms, combat )〕〔(: It was Saudi Arabia that loaned Pakistan $1.5 billion to shore up reserves )〕 On January 8, 2014, ''Al-Monitor'' reported that the partnership with Pakistan satisfies the Saudi historic quest for a close non-Arab ally to maintain its hegemony in the Arab world and deal with its own internal security challenges. Saudi Arabia is often seen offering its economic resources and the promise of investment in return for military and security cooperation from Pakistan.〔(Saudi strategy includes alliance with Pakistan )〕 == Development of bilateral relations == Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are leading members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Saudi Arabia was one of the strongest supporters of Pakistan during Pakistan's wars with India, especially opposing the creation of Bangladesh from Pakistan's eastern wing in 1971. While it had supported Pakistan's stance on the Kashmir conflict, it has since endorsed the Indo-Pakistani peace process. With Pakistan, it provided extensive financial and political support to the Taliban and the Afghan mujahideen fighting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.〔(Saudi Arabia: Nervously Watching Pakistan )〕〔 〕 During the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War, Pakistan sent troops to protect the Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia, but strains developed when some Pakistani politicians and Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg, the then-chief of staff of the Pakistani army openly expressed support for Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq and its invasion of Kuwait.〔(Pakistan - Middle East )〕 Along with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were the only states to recognise Taliban rule in Afghanistan. In May 1998, Saudi Arabia was the only country that was taken in complete confidence by Prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Pakistan's decision on performing atomic test in Weapon-testing laboratories-III (WTL-III) in the region of the Chagai Hills. After he ordered the atomic tests (see codenames: ''Chagai-I'' and ''Chagai-II''), Saudi Arabia, along with United Arab Emirates, were the only countries to backed Pakistan and congratulated the country for making the "bold decision". Furthermore, Saudi Arabia promised to supply 50,000 barrels per day of free oil to help Pakistan cope with likely economic sanctions in the aftermath 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pakistan–Saudi Arabia relations」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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