Naveed Aman KhanPRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s three-day visit to Saudi Arabia has taken place at a decisive moment for Pakistan’s foreign policy. For Pakistan, defense cooperation is not simply about military prestige. Islamabad wants Saudi investment in productive sectors rather than relying indefinitely on deposits, loans and deferred payments. Recent discussions have identified agriculture, food security, ports, highways, airports, energy, power distribution and information technology as potential areas for Saudi investment. Islamabad’s defense partnership with Riyadh is defensive and does not constitute participation in an offensive strategy against Iran.