Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Relations at New Strategic Height I
By Dr.Syed Mehboob
Senior Researcher, Political and Economic Analyst
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are two brotherly Islamic countries with strong bilateral relations. Saudi Arabia is the custodian of the two holiest places of Islam, “Makkah” and “Madina”, both are known as “Harmain Shareefain”. Both countries' flags represent Islamic brotherhood, with Saudi Arabia’s having Kalmia e Tayyibah on it, declaring that there is no God except Allah and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Prophet. The Pakistani flag with crescent and star reminds us that this unique country was created in the Holy name of Allah Almighty. Wednesday, 17th September 2025, was a historical day when a beaming Pakistani Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was warmly welcomed with Saudi F15 fighter jets, a red carpet, and full royal protocol, joined by Saudi Crown Prince His Royal Highness, Khadim e Harmain Shareefain Mohammed bin Salman, to sign a unique and “Strategic Mutual Defence Management (SMDA) “. It was a landmark and historical moment in the decades-old alliance between the two nations, whose ties stretch back nearly eight decades. The signing ceremony was held at the Royal Court in Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh and was witnessed by senior officials from Saudi Arabia, the custodian of two of Islam’s holiest and most sacred places, alongside representatives from Pakistan, the Muslim world’s only NUCLEAR POWER. The deal comes at a critical moment. Regional politics have been upended by two years of Israeli aggression – including its war on Gaza and strikes on neighboring states – capped by last week’s Israeli attack on Doha, Qatar’s capital, which borders Saudi Arabia.
The agreement with Saudi Arabia reflects the “shared commitment” of both nations to strengthen security and promote regional peace, while also pledging to “strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression”. The agreement states that any aggression against either country would be considered an aggression against both. Analyst described this agreement as a turning point, a game-changer, and a watershed. The deal could serve as a template for Pakistan to engage in similar bilateral defense cooperation with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, two key Gulf partners. This agreement will consolidate and formalize multi-prong defence cooperation already underway, and new avenues to expand it via joint training, defence production, and potential expansion of Pakistani troops contingent in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to recognize Pakistan after its independence in August 1947. In 1951, the two nations signed a “Treaty of Friendship,” laying the foundation for decades of strategic, political, military, and economic cooperation. Over the years, Pakistani armed forces have deployed to the kingdom several times and trained Saudi personnel both in the Gulf and in Pakistan. Pakistan has trained more than eight thousand Saudi troops since 1967. An agreement signed in 1982 further cemented this cooperation by ensuring the “deputation of Pakistan Armed Forces personnel and military training” in Saudi Arabia.
But the latest pact arrives as the Middle East’s geopolitical chessboard is in flux. The fallout from Israel’s war on Gaza and its strikes on regional neighbours has made Gulf states uneasy, many of which still rely heavily on United States security guarantees, even as Washington remains Israel’s closest ally. As of mid-2025, some 40,000–50,000 US troops are stationed across the Middle East, deployed in large bases and smaller forward sites – at least 19 of them – including Prince Sultan Air Base outside Riyadh. These US forces, unfortunately, failed to provide any protection to Arab countries against Israel.
Earlier this year, in June, Israel waged a 12-day war with Iran, targeting nuclear facilities as well as senior civilian and military leaders. American bomber jets supported the assault, dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Fordow, one of Iran’s key nuclear sites. Three months later, Israel struck a building in a leafy Doha neighbourhood that is home to embassies, supermarkets, and schools, killing at least five Hamas members and one Qatari security official. The Doha attack triggered an emergency of Arab and Islamic nations. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE – said they would activate a joint defence mechanism. The new pact shows that Saudi Arabia still sees value in its relationship with Pakistan, and that Islamabad is not isolated in its extended neighbourhood – despite Indian attempts to get countries to distance themselves from Pakistan.
The Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) is a security and defense agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Under this agreement, both countries committed to treating any act of aggression against one as an act against both. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long-standing military cooperation, defense training programs, economic ties, and cultural and religious ties. In recent years, changes in Middle Eastern geopolitics (including concerns about external threats, reactions to Israeli military actions, and perceptions of American reliability as a guarantor of security) have heightened regional security concerns. Many analysts see the agreement in part as a response to such dynamics.
Both signatory countries have largely presented the agreement as a positive development, with Pakistani leaders presenting it as a normalization or formalization of existing defense cooperation. As Saudi Arabia is called Khadim e Harmain Shareefain, so Pakistan, its Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Hafiz Asim Munir, is called “ Muhafiz e Harmain Shareefain”.
It was a historic upgrade of Pakistan-Saudi relations, perhaps the strongest formal arrangement in decades. The agreement marks the most significant upgrade in Pakistan-Saudi defence ties in decades. Cooperation between the two states dates back to 1967 and deepened after the 1979 Grand Masjid Seizure by terrorists, when Pakistani special forces helped Saudi troops reclaim Masjid al-Haram.
In 1982, the two sides institutionalized security ties through a Bilateral Security Cooperation Agreement that enabled Pakistani training, advisory support, and deployments on Saudi soil. At times, as many as 20,000 Pakistani troops were stationed in the kingdom, and Saudi Arabia became a key purchaser of Pakistani-made arms. In recent years, the partnership has gained urgency amid regional instability. In February, a meeting of the Joint Military Cooperation Committee in Riyadh pledged to expand training and exchanges. The new pact formalizes commitments that had long existed in practice, creating what some analysts saw as a de facto joint defensive umbrella, though finer details of the agreement were not made public. For Pakistan, the agreement offers both strategic and economic benefits. It secures vital Saudi investment and funding at a time of fiscal strain, while reinforcing Pakistan’s standing as a pan-Islamic security provider. The mutual defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, on September 17th, reverberates across the Middle East and Asia, marking a major shift in global alignments. In this ‘geopolitical alliance, the relationship appears highly complementary: Saudi Arabia, as leader of the Islamic world and a major economic power, is set to become Pakistan’s largest external financier in the 2025-2026 fiscal year with over US$6 billion in loans and deposits. Pakistan, meanwhile, possesses nuclear weapons and can thus theoretically extend its nuclear umbrella to the kingdom.
This agreement develops from long-time and strict cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan: from the “Treaty of Friendship” signed in 1951 to the 1982 Organization Agreement that allowed Pakistani troops to station in the kingdom for training. The current agreement has three immediate implications. First, it further binds Gulf and Asia security, boosting strategic interdependence. Second, it adds a new security actor, Pakistan, the only Muslim-majority nuclear power, to the shifting Gulf security equation, with an Asian power formally entering this chessboard. Third, it brings Riyadh into a strategic position in South Asia. The mutual defence pact with Pakistan serves Riyadh as a deterrence tool, shielding the kingdom from Israel, whose unrestrained military conduct has generated fears across the region, especially after the attack in Doha. Pakistan has gained renewed relevance as the only Muslim-majority nuclear power and long-time security partner for Riyadh. The pact bolsters its claim to be a central player in Islamic geopolitics and secures critical Saudi financial lifelines at a time of economic fragility. The mutual defence agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan marks a major development not only for security balances in the Gulf and Asia, with the Israeli attack in Doha playing the accelerating factor, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have opened a still unpredictable season of geopolitical reshuffles in the Gulf and Asia, Saudi-Pakistani defense cooperation began to take shape in the 1960s, during the leadership of King Faisal and President Ayub Khan. At that stage, Pakistan provided training and advisory support to the Royal Saudi Air Force, laying the first formal foundations of a relationship that would steadily expand. In 1967, the first formal defense cooperation agreement, signed in Islamabad by Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, marked the beginning of Pakistan’s sustained role in Saudi Arabia’s defense.
During the late 1960s and 1970s, this agreement was translated into large-scale exchanges of military personnel and expertise. Hundreds of Pakistani officers served in Saudi Arabia as trainers, advisers and engineers, while thousands of Saudi soldiers and aviators were trained in Pakistan under structured contracts. By the early 1970s, Pakistan had extended technical cooperation to civil aviation and airlines, while simultaneously building Saudi defensive fortifications along the Yemeni border. The cooperation was not limited to training alone: it created the nucleus of a Saudi military establishment that drew heavily on Pakistani experience and professionalism.
The 1980s brought a major expansion in the scale and scope of bilateral defense ties. Regional turbulence, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Iran-Iraq War, prompted Riyadh and Islamabad to institutionalize their military collaboration through a 1982 protocol agreement. This protocol established the Saudi-Pakistan Armed Forces Organization and authorized the large-scale deployment of Pakistani forces in Saudi Arabia. At its peak, more than 20,000 Pakistani troops, including divisions and brigades, were stationed in sensitive regions such as Tabuk and the Eastern Province, performing both training and operational roles, while also reassuring Saudi Arabia against any threats. Cooperation remained steady through the Gulf War of 1990-91, when Pakistan dispatched more than 11,000 troops to Saudi Arabia at Riyadh’s request. These forces were deployed primarily in defensive positions to protect borders and holy sites, in line with the 1982 protocol. In the 1990s and 2000s, the focus of collaboration shifted to counterterrorism and intelligence sharing, particularly in the fight against Al-Qaeda and in managing instability in Afghanistan. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, highlighted the shared security concerns of both states and reinforced the need for continued military and intelligence cooperation, even as both countries worked alongside the US during the War on Terror.
The past decade and a half have seen a further diversification of defense relations, adapting to new regional and global realities. Pakistan’s former army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif assumed command of the Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) in 2017, reflecting Riyadh’s trust in Pakistan’s leadership of collective security. Since then, joint army, naval, and air force exercises have become a regular feature, complemented by growing cooperation in defense production and technology. The deployment of Pakistani troops and military advisers in Saudi Arabia has also continued under the framework of the 1982 agreement, primarily in training and advisory roles, while new avenues of collaboration in defense industries have emerged. This historical trajectory shows how the new agreement is not an abrupt development but the culmination of decades of steady, evolving cooperation built on mutual trust and shared security needs.
It will play a critical role in ensuring credible defense, as well as in charting a sustainable security framework for the future. The evolving regional security environment and global geopolitical challenges require Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to strengthen their defense coordination. Joint exercises, advanced training, and co-production in defense industries can form the backbone of this next phase, aligning with Vision 2030’s goal of building Saudi Arabia’s self-reliance, while drawing on Pakistan’s battle-hardened military expertise.
Equally important is the political significance of the pact. It reflects recognition of Pakistan’s rising diplomatic profile in recent months. At the same time, Pakistan has strengthened political, security, and economic relations with Turkiye and Azerbaijan, while also gaining visibility in multilateral diplomacy. As president of the UN Security Council in July 2025, Islamabad successfully mobilized support for a resolution on the peaceful settlement of disputes and played an active role in the UN High-Level Conference on the Two-State Solution in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. Collectively, these developments have enhanced Pakistan’s standing in the eyes of the Kingdom and underscored the logic of a binding defense pact. Finally, the defense pact also reflects Pakistan’s appreciation of Saudi Arabia’s steadfast support in difficult times — whether through soft loans, deferred oil payments, or sustained humanitarian and political assistance. Against this backdrop, the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement represents both continuity and renewal: continuity of a defense relationship forged over decades and renewal in adapting that partnership to the demands of an uncertain future.
Saudi Arabia Economic Indicators
Area Sq. km : 2,149,690
Population : 32.175 million
GDP (PPP) US$ billion : 2,250
GDP (Nominal) US$ billion : 1,140
GDP Per Capita US$ (PPP) : 65,880
GDP Per Capita US$ ( Nominal) : 33,291
Export US$ billion : 370.974
Imports US$ billion : 291.565
Economic Indicators Pakistan
Area Sq. km : 881,913
Population : 255.3 million
GDP (PPP) US$ billion : 1,672
GDP (Nominal) US$ billion : 411.8
GDP Per Capita US$ (PPP) : 6,955
GDP Per Capita US$ ( Nominal) : 1,828
Export US$ billion : 40.69
Imports US$ billion : 70.69
Military Strength of Saudi Arabia
Budget : US$78 billion
Army Active Personnel : 480, 700
Equipment:
The army's main equipment consists of a combination of French- and U.S.-made armored vehicles: 315 M–1A2 Abrams, 290 AMX 30, and 450 M 60 A3 main battle tanks; 300 reconnaissance vehicles; 570+ AMX–10P and 400 M–2 Bradley armored infantry fighting vehicles; 3,000+ M113 and 100 Al-Fahd armored personnel carriers, produced in Saudi Arabia; 200+ towed artillery pieces; 110 self-propelled artillery pieces; 60 multiple rocket launchers; 400 mortars; 10 surface-to-surface missiles; about 2,000 antitank guided weapons; about 200 rocket launchers; 450 recoilless launchers; 12 attack helicopters; 50+ transport helicopters; and 1,000 surface-to-air missiles.
Air Force
Personnel : 30,000
Aircrafts : 684
Navy : 13,500
The Navy's inventory includes 11 principal Surface combatants, 65 patrol and coastal combatants, 7 mine warfare vessels, 8 amphibious craft, and 7 support and miscellaneous craft. Naval aviation forces have 19 helicopters (armed) serving in naval support
Saudi Arabia
Borders
United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Yemen by
land and Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, Bahrain, and Iran by sea
Port & Harbors
Jubail, King Fahad, Qadimah, Ras-al-Ghar, Ras-al-Mishab, Ras Tanura,
Dhiba, Sharmah, Yanbu, Rabigh, Jeddah, Dammam, Ras-al-Khafji, Jizran,
Trade Potential with Pakistan
There is a huge potential available for enlarging Pakistan’s exports to Saudi Arabia in textiles, pharmaceuticals, rice, seafood, meat, edible fruits and vegetables, dairy products, leather goods, and information technology. Some trade barriers hinder exports to Saudi Arabia, including compliance with standards, a lack of information, and limited commercial activities between the two nations. There is a need to negotiate trade impediments related to compliance, standardization, sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS), technical requirements, conformity assessment, and rules of origin certificates for the enhancement of Pakistan’s exports to Saudi Arabia. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia should formulate a strategy for mutual recognition of standards for exports of surgical instruments, food items, and pharmaceutical goods, as there is a huge demand for these products in Saudi Arabia.
There is a need for business people-to-people contact, formulation of trade delegations, and participation in trade fairs. Moreover, the Trade missions of both nations should also play their due role in the enhancement of bilateral trade. There is also a need to sign an agreement with Saudi Arabia related to the exchange of skilled workers and the promotion of tourism.
Being a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Saudi Arabia applies GCC rules and procedures in those areas where they have been developed, like the common external tariff, the common customs law, customs procedures for first points of entry, common law on Anti-dumping, countervailing, and safeguard measures, etc. Through GCC, Saudi Arabia is a member of the Pan Arab Free Trade Area (Member Countries are the GCC countries plus Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen), GCC-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, and GCC. European Free Trade Association (EFTA). At present, GCC is negotiating a Free Trade agreement with Australia, China, the EU, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, MERCOSUR, Pakistan, and Turkey.
Bilaterally, Saudi Arabia has signed a Free Trade Agreement with the USA only. China, Japan, the USA, South Korea, the UAE, and India are major export destinations, and China, the USA, Germany, South Korea, and the UAE are the major import partners of Saudi Arabia.
Being a member of the WTO since 2005, Saudi Arabia’s trade policy is straightforward and accords MFN status to almost all countries and applies an average 5 percent tariff on 80 percent of tariff lines, duty-free on another 11 percent, and high rates are observed for products containing tobacco and some
products are prohibited due to religious and moral reasons. Whereas the procedures of exports and Imports are very complicated, which is highlighted by the World Bank in its Ease of Doing Business Report. Apart from GCC Standards, Saudi Arab also developed its own standards and technical regulations for exports and imports of various commodities, particularly food items and live animals, etc, and imports of food and animal products for human consumption require import permits from the Saudi Food and Drugs Authority (SFDA), while the imports of meat and poultry meat, a Halal Certificate and an Islamic slaughter certificate are required in addition to other documentation.
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