In what has been severely underreported in recent days, several countries in the Middle East continue to reach out to each other, in an attempt to bring order and stability to the region.

According to the latest reports, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, for instance, started talking to the Saudi King. Zardari arrived in Saudi Arabia earlier for a two-day visit in order to talk about an initiative to bring the Taliban and Afghan government to the dialogue table.

In addition to Afghanistan, Zardari may also have talked with the Saudi King about his country’s economic problems. Pakistan is, according to most, on the brink of economic collapse, it desperately needs aide.

However, as of yet, there are no signs of Saudi cash flowing into Pakistan.

Zardari also visited China recently, during which the Chinese promised to work with the Pakistanis on nuclear energy and to support the country by sending many millions, billions even, to Islamabad.

If Saudi Arabia, a Wahabbi country, would also help Pakistan out financially, it could change the dynamics in the region considerably. It would give the Saudis influence in one of the region’s biggest and most powerful countries, which has nuclear weapons at that.

Although no Saudi aid is forthcoming, for now, the two did sign “a number of agreements on cooperation and investment in various sectors.”

During the two-day visit, Zardari is “also expected to ask Saudi businessmen to invest in Pakistan’s real estate, industry and information-technology sectors.”

The Saudis may even be considering “a special oil facility for Pakistan.” Zardari will seek “Saudi oil shipments against deferred payments of up to two years to reduce pressure on the country’s trade imbalance.”

Such deals would rather obviously increase Saudi Arabia’s influence in Pakistan, which has enough fundamentalists as it is. One cannot help but wonder whether the Saudis will be satisfied with a purely financial role in Pakistan, considering that they adhere to an interpretation of Islam which goes beyond Saudi Arabia’s borders.

Meanwhile, not only could they sign more trade agreements, but the Pakistanis believe that Mecca will be able to give $1.6 billion in a bailout package. If true, Saudi Arabia will buy influence in Pakistan, and Pakistan will move away from the United States and the West in general, and to the East.