“An attack on one is now an attack on both. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have redrawn the security map of South Asia and the Middle East.”
The Pakistani and Saudi Arabian governments held a pivotal Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) at Al Yamamah Palace, Riyadh, on 17 September 2025 to be inaugurated by Shahbaz Sharif as the Pakistani prime minister and Mohammed bin Salman as the Saudi Crown Prince. This official agreement puts the long history of defence alliance between these two countries into writing. The structure of collective security is created where an assault on one member state is an assault on the other member states.
The agreement has created an overall interest in the entire southern region and the Middle East as a whole. To Pakistan, the deal puts the nation at the future level as being a unipolar security guarantor in the Muslim world, but to Saudi Arabia, the deal is an indication to end dependence on Western defence guarantees and move to a more diversified, geographically orientated security paradigm.
Historical Background of Pakistan–Saudi Defence Ties
Early Foundations (1950s–1970s)
The diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were officially established in 1951, but the basis of military cooperation was being strengthened in the 1960s and 1970s. To this end, Pakistan developed strong relations with Riyadh, and in the process, Saudi Arabia faced instability in the security environment and made efforts to increase its defence forces by aligning with the Pakistani armed forces.
The Pakistani military officers were seconded to Saudi Arabia by the mid-1960s to train the armed forces of the kingdom. Pakistani airmen also flew Saudi planes, and a large number of Pakistani troops were deployed all around the Saudi Peninsula. These deployments constituted an important element of deviance in Pakistan-Saudi defence relations.
These bilateral connections continued to be further cemented by the oil boom of the 1970s as the remittances of the Pakistani nationals of the Saudi Arabian workforce became an invaluable financial resource of Pakistan’s economy.
Strategic Convergence during the Afghan Jihad (1980s)
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were further brought closer by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Both countries made themselves the first line of defenders of the Afghan mujahideen, getting financial handover in Riyadh and logistical support in Islamabad. It was a strategic alliance against communist impact that was created throughout this era and supported by the United States. Riyadh also started seeking Pakistan as a potential ally during this time in terms of nuclear deterrence, in which neither country publicly recognised the existence of any nuclear partnership.
The Gulf War (1990–1991)
Pakistan was a direct player in the First Gulf War. It has also established its troops in Saudi Arabia to protect the Kingdom in case Iraq attacks. Pakistan forces helped in the capture of strategic areas, which shows that Riyadh trusted Islamabad in terms of military strength.
The Gulf War experience solidified this set of Saudi financial aid and Pakistani military support, hence a win-win in the security relationship between the two countries.
Continued Cooperation in the 2000s
Both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia indeed made common ground in the global war on terror in the post-9/11 bombing, but with their own sets of priorities. Pakistan wanted Saudi backing to stabilise its shaky economy, whereas Riyadh wanted the services of Islamabad to counter extremist threats and to balance the Iranian power in the area. Military drills, sharing of intelligence and training were ongoing, thus sustaining the strength of the bilateral security structure.
The 2025 Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement
The partnership will be formalised and institutionalised by the Service Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) signed in September 2025. The main requirement of it is that “Any aggression against one of the states will be considered as aggression against both states.”
This is a sharp contrast to the antecedent arrangements in the sense that it is NATO-inspired collective defence, which was mainly an adhocracy and depended on political will at the time.
Symbolism and Diplomacy
The contract was signed through the involvement of notable officials of both governments, hence the financial approval at the institutional level. The visit by the civilian and military leadership of Pakistan indicated the unified national stance; at the same time, Saudi Arabia expressed the deal in the context of its Vision 2030 strategy, also including the strengthening of regional independence and decreasing the reliance on Western defence complexes.
Areas of Cooperation
The agreement does not detail how the operation will be; however, it is projected that it will entail:
● Military drills and systemic training.
● Addressing counter-terrorism crimes, especially in intelligence sharing.
● External aggression must be provided with logistical and operational support at the event, as it equates to reality.
● Potential co-operation with defence technology advancement and the purchase of arms.
There are speculations that the agreement provides an unspoken commitment to Saudi Arabia to fall under the nuclear umbrella of Pakistan, but there has been no confirmation yet by either of the two governments.
Strategic Significance
With the formalisation of the concept of collective defence, the agreement increases in its deterrence. The potential aggressors are now put in the position of having to compute the price of fighting both militaries at the same time, which makes taking hostile action towards either of the two states a costly affair.
The Saudi Arabian security has been sustained. The Saudi-U.S. mutual defence pact (SMDA) shows a miscalculation of alliance as Riyadh is trying to become allies with other partners besides Washington. Setting up a defence policy based on the regional alignments, Saudi Arabia is expressing its willingness to gain autonomy because of the changing American commitments in the Middle East.
To Pakistan, the said agreement enhances its image as a major Muslim-dominated military nation. It further makes Islamabad the defence partner preferred by Riyadh, and this status may translate into economic aid, investment and energy security benefits. In addition, it increases the bargaining power of Pakistan in its transactions with the United States, India and China.
Regional Implications
Impact on South Asia
India has clearly stated that it would consider the consequences for its national security. As the bilateral relationship in energy and technology aspects is already being fortified between India and Riyadh, the future defence deal might complicate the future of the India-Saudi Arabia relationship.
The relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia can provide Islamabad with greater bargaining power in the security discussions in South Asia, negating the growing association between India and the United States. Pakistani assistance to Saudi Arabia would indirectly affect the Afghanistan situation, especially in its counter-terrorism policies against extremist networks.
Impact on the Middle East
Iran can take the agreement as a Sunni bloc in order to counter its influence. This may heighten sectarian and geopolitical conflicts in the Gulf region. The recent Israeli attacks on Qatar put Riyadh in a new security relationship with Pakistan that may complicate its normalisation efforts with Israel, which were going on. The UAE and Qatar will be keen on the pact to determine whether it shifts the balance of power in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The USA and China, the two giant forces, will observe the compatibility of this agreement with their main strategic vision. The experience of this setup in Washington is potentially dangerous, although it might be an opportunity for Beijing to strengthen its Belt and Road strategies in the face of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Challenges and Ambiguities
It is still uncertain how collective defence would be implemented across different platforms, be it in terms of a joint command military base and/or deployment of rapid-response units. The relatively small economy in Pakistan might have no capability to afford long-term military support despite diversions of the financial aid provided by Saudi Arabia. Competitor states, especially Iran and India, will feel threatened by the fact that the pact is a strategic threat, and this is likely to escalate tensions in the region. Sustainability of the deal depends upon the political custodianship; its effectiveness can be damaged by leadership change or alteration in priorities in foreign policy.
Conclusion
The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (2025) is an important development in the bilateral relations of the two states. Through collective defence, the agreement has gone beyond making their cooperation a one-sided arrangement into a security commitment. To Pakistan, the deal brings Pakistan well-established as its strategic partner of preference in the Muslim world; to Saudi Arabia, the deal marks a strategic change towards an independent regional level of defence policy. Its consequences will be felt not only in South Asia, where the India-Saudi Arabia relationship will be more complicated, but also across the Middle East, where the relationship with Iran will get more tense, and a new form of Gulf security will be developed.
In principle, the 2025 defence agreement is not only a bilateral accord but also a geostrategic declaration of action that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will co-create the future of the geopolitically desirable order in the region.
