Saudi-Pakistan defence pact cements already robust ties
For decades, Riyadh and Islamabad have been on the same page when it comes to defence and security, but their alliance has always been based on understandings. That is now evolving.
SPA
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shakes hands with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Saudi-Pakistan defence pact cements already robust ties
Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former head of Saudi intelligence, once described the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as “the closest of any kind in the world without a formal treaty”. From the Suez Crisis and Yemen’s first civil war to the Afghan conflict and the Gulf Wars, recent decades have been tumultuous, but the security framework between Riyadh and Islamabad has been underpinned by religious affinity and Saudi financial support.
Today, that “unwritten treaty” that Prince Turki once referred to is being formalised in a landmark defence agreement announced following a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Headlines soon pondered an “Islamic bomb” or a “nuclear umbrella,” given that Pakistan is a nuclear power. Recent Israeli airstrikes on Qatar will have focused minds.
For seasoned observers, a formal defence agreement represents a natural evolution and should come as no surprise, given that the Saudi-Pakistan bilateral relationship remains among the most robust in the world. In an era marked by growing global uncertainty and an unpredictable Israel unsettling Gulf states, it could even mark a significant strategic turning point for the Middle East.
Historic ties
Saudi Arabia’s ties with the Muslims of British India predate both the establishment of Pakistan and the discovery of oil in the Arabian Peninsula. Several Indian maharajas lent their support to King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the kingdom’s founder. In 1940, Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz visited prominent Muslim families across India, including in Karachi.
Following the partition of India, Saudi Arabia had close relations with both India and Pakistan, but its engagement with Pakistan took on a strategic dimension after the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948. Pakistan had formidable military capabilities—many of its soldiers had served in British Indian Army units in places such as Jerusalem, Amman, Baghdad, and Muscat. The newly formed Pakistani state inherited this military legacy.
A formal defence agreement represents a natural evolution in the Saudi-Pakistan bilateral relationship, which is one of the world's most robust
Its forces later trained those of emerging Arab states such as Jordan, Syria and Iraq, and Ayesha Siddiqa, a leading expert on Pakistani military affairs at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, notes that while the newly announced defence pact between Riyadh and Islamabad may seem novel, it is essentially a continuation of the region's British colonial legacy.
The military alliance between the two states has often been based on good relations with individual Pakistani leaders, from General Ayub Khan to Pervez Musharraf, Raheel Sharif, Qamar Javed Bajwa, and now the current army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir. All have been strategic advisers to Saudi Arabia. Today, Gen. Raheel Sharif leads the Saudi-funded Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition in Riyadh.
Wider links
Beyond the military sphere, the two nations share generational ties that extend across society and state. For instance, Pakistani physicians have served in the Saudi royal court and in hospitals throughout the Kingdom, while Pakistani financiers have also helped deepen bilateral economic and financial ties. These professional and financial partnerships have become deeply ingrained in the fabric of Saudi society and governance, extending the bilateral relationship far beyond its military foundations.
Saad Siddiqui, for example, provided advisory services to Saudi finance ministries during his tenure at JPMorgan in New York (2022–24). His father was a distinguished military doctor who served in Saudi Arabia. Likewise, Issam Hamid, a prominent investment manager, now heads the Middle East operations for a $60bn fund and offers counsel to Saudi officials. Again, he treads in the footsteps of his father, a diplomat who advised on foreign affairs.
Several years ago, during a visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, then-Prime Minister Imran Khan raised the issue of Pakistani workers detained in Saudi prisons. The Kingdom responded swiftly and decisively, reaffirming its commitment to the welfare of every Pakistani facing legal or administrative challenges.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ahead of their meeting in Riyadh.
Within days, help was being given to thousands of Pakistani expatriates. At two million, this is the largest foreign community in Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also eased visa procedures for visits and pilgrimage. He also launched airfare discounts and low-cost flight routes linking major Pakistani cities with Saudi Arabia.
Question of strategy
Pakistan prioritises its relationship with Saudi Arabia in both foreign and defence policy. In 2015, it declined to take part in the Saudi-led military action against the Houthis in Yemen, but army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif personally travelled to Riyadh to explain why, and despite some Gulf states (such as the UAE and Kuwait) voicing criticism of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia refrained from doing so.
It is widely acknowledged—though never officially confirmed—that Riyadh played a discreet role in supporting Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme during the Cold War. Selected Saudi officials were granted access to sensitive military and nuclear facilities in Pakistan, even before Pakistani prime ministers were afforded similar visits.
Over the decades, Pakistan has deployed thousands of troops to Saudi Arabia, with tens of thousands stationed there during the First Gulf War alone. Each year, Saudi officers undergo military training in Pakistan, and many senior commanders across the Kingdom's naval, air and ground forces are alumni of Pakistan's military academies.
Today, Field Marshal Asim Munir—who spent several years stationed in Saudi Arabia—continues a long-standing tradition of Pakistani army chiefs strengthening bilateral military ties with Saudi Arabia and serving as informal strategic advisers to the Kingdom. Indeed, Munir's posting affords him a deeper understanding of the region's dynamics than many of his predecessors. This has helped him facilitate improved Saudi-Iranian relations and support Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's regional initiatives.
In an era marked by an unpredictable Israel unsettling Gulf states, the Saudi-Pakistan defence pact could mark a significant turning point for the region
Enhanced bond
During the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in the summer, Munir served as a key backchannel for the Trump administration and US Central Command (CENTCOM). After Israeli airstrikes on Doha, Munir was quick to visit the Qatari capital, cementing his standing. He has close relations with the state, with Pakistan having provided 3,000 soldiers for security during the FIFA 2022 World Cup that Qatar hosted.
Munir has advised Saudi Arabia on its borders with Yemen, Jordan, and Iraq. Pakistan remains one of Jordan's closest military partners, having helped stabilise the country during the Black September crisis in 1970-71, when the Palestine Liberation Organisation fought King Hussein's Jordanian troops. Jordan's current Crown Prince trained alongside a Pakistani officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK.
Munir's grasp of these regional dynamics informs his understanding of how Saudi Arabia perceives security—not as an isolated concern, but as an integral component of its strategic evolution under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's vision. So, while the formal announcement of the Saudi-Pakistani defence pact may make headlines, the relationship itself is far from new.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Field Marshal Munir have transformed this deep-rooted partnership from an implicit arrangement into a formal, institutional, codified alliance. This could have big implications for the region, and sends a clear message of deterrence: any threat to either Pakistan or Saudi Arabia will no longer be met with a unilateral response, but with a coordinated defence posture.
