Non Resident Pakistanis (NRPs) would be happy with the prime minister’s shakeup of the embassy staff in Riyadh because the government is now seen to be putting its words, to the effect that expatriates are the country’s biggest asset, into action. These are times when both the federal government and the central bank are taking unprecedented steps to facilitate exogenous forex inflows into Pakistan, and the expatriate community has stepped up to the plate so admirably that they have commanded respect and gratitude from everybody all the way up to the PM. And for embassy staffers to inconvenience them, especially through bribery and extortion, crosses all limits and needs to be dealt with a very firm hand, as the PM has promised. This comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s upcoming high-profile visit to the kingdom, where deals worth as much as $500 million are expected to be signed. This is a very welcome development since relations with Riyadh hadn’t reflected the traditional warmth lately, especially since Islamabad began leaning towards Ankara and Kuala Lumpur for forming a new Muslim alliance, of sorts. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who more or less runs the show in the kingdom, apparently has other ideas for the Muslim bloc and they are supposed to come from the Arab heartland, not around the Bosphorus; and he clearly expected Islamabad to understand as much. Either way, now that all differences have been ironed out the two countries can look forward to reengaging with fresh vigour. The Pak-Saudi alliance is time-tested, after all, and too crucial for either country to ignore for too long. It is also very good news that the Saudis have now decided not to withdraw their $1 billion loan facility, which bolsters our foreign exchange reserves. These are times of great change for the whole world and both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia seem to realise this. Just the other day Crown Prince Mohammad offered what was clearly a strategic thaw with Iran, which Tehran would be wise to accept and reciprocate for the welfare of the entire region as well as the wider Muslim community. It is a great responsibility that Islamabad finds itself right at the centre of this great change. Hopefully more welcome news will come when the PM visits the crown prince. *