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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, here in Riyadh on October 23, 2018. FAY NURELDINE / AFP

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed ben Salman begins this Saturday, February 16th a tour in Asia. First step: Pakistan, where he arrives full pockets.

Mohammed ben Salman arrives in Pakistan with a check of 10 billion dollars. To pull out its ally from the financial chasm into which it is plunged, Saudi Arabia will finance the construction of an oil refinery in the port of Gwadar , near Karachi.

Stranded by debts and lacking cash, Pakistanis are at the brink of the economic crisis. They have a vital need for Saudi liquidity to cope with the fiscal emergency, before appealing to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new tranche of financial assistance.

This is not the first time that Saudi Arabia would make such a move. Riyadh has already cleared part of the Pakistani slate. Mohammed bin Salman uses his wallet as a diplomatic lever.

In exchange for its largesse, Pakistan will have to align without hesitation on Saudi foreign policy. As was the case during the storm caused by the Khashoggi affair , where the Pakistani Prime Minister 's strong support for the Saudi regime did not go unnoticed.

→ Read: Pakistan's Prime Minister Seeks Financial Aid From Saudi Arabia