Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have formally signed a mutual defence pact, a move that cements their decades-long security partnership and signals a deepening strategic alignment.
According to a joint statement published by state media in both countries, the agreement commits Riyadh and Islamabad to treat any attack on one as an attack on both, effectively binding their security fates together. The pact aims to “strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression” while expanding cooperation across all areas of defence.
The signing took place in Riyadh, where Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed ways to broaden the “strategic partnership” between the two “brotherly countries.” Both leaders also exchanged views on regional and international developments, emphasizing their shared interest in stability and peace.
A senior Saudi official told Reuters that the agreement was “the culmination of years of discussions,” stressing that it was not a reaction to any one country or event, but rather the institutionalisation of a longstanding relationship. Asked about whether the pact covers Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, the official described it as a “comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means,” without offering further clarification.
The deal comes just two days after an extraordinary joint session of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was convened, following Israel’s September 9 strike on Doha, the Qatari capital. Military ties between the two nations are not new — Pakistan has trained more than 8,000 Saudi personnel since 1967, and a 1982 agreement formalised the deputation of Pakistani armed forces and trainers in the Kingdom. But the timing of this latest pact underscores the shifting dynamics of a Middle East unsettled by Israel’s war on Gaza, cross-border strikes, and the waning reliability of U.S. security guarantees.
What this means for India
For New Delhi, the agreement is likely to be read with unease. While India has carefully cultivated stronger ties with both Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf in recent years, a formal defence alliance with Pakistan — its nuclear-armed rival — introduces a new variable into the regional security equation. Although the pact is framed as defensive, India may view it as a potential expansion of Pakistan’s strategic depth, backed by Saudi financial muscle and political clout in the Muslim world. At a time when India is seeking to project itself as a security partner to the Gulf, particularly in areas like energy, technology, and counterterrorism, Riyadh’s binding military commitment to Islamabad could complicate India’s delicate balancing act.
Source :Al Jazeera, Dawn
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