Pakistan

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Sign Mutual Defense Pact

Published SEP 18 2025

Story

Above: Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on April 16, 2024. Image credit: Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17, 2025, during Sharif's state visit to Riyadh at Al-Yamamah Palace.
MOFA
The agreement stipulates that any aggression against either Saudi Arabia or Pakistan shall be considered an aggression against both countries, formalizing decades of military and security cooperation between the nations.
MOFA
The defense pact builds on a historic partnership extending nearly eight decades between the two countries, grounded in bonds of brotherhood, Islamic solidarity and shared strategic interests according to joint statements.
DAWN
Swarajyamag
Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended the signing ceremony alongside senior ministers and military officials from both countries, with Pakistani state television showing the leaders embracing after the agreement.
DAWN
The Jerusalem Post
A senior Saudi official described the agreement as a comprehensive defensive pact that encompasses all military means and represents an institutionalization of longstanding cooperation rather than a response to specific events.
The Jerusalem Post
The Guardian
The enhanced defense ties emerge amid increasing concern among Gulf Arab states about the reliability of the U.S. as their longstanding security guarantor, as tensions heighten following recent conflicts.
The Jerusalem Post
The Guardian

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

The Saudi–Pakistan defense pact is a historic milestone, binding two trusted allies into a single shield against aggression. It honors decades of brotherhood, amplifies Pakistan’s military stature, and signals a new regional order where Muslim powers unite for collective security. This bold commitment promises not only deterrence, but also stability, strength, and prosperity.

Arab News

GEO

Narrative B

Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia looks less like strategic triumph and more like desperate bargaining. With its economy in free fall and elites begging Riyadh for bailouts, Islamabad is trading soldiers for survival. Saudi Arabia, shifting away from unconditional aid, now tightens the leash — while Pakistan risks entanglement in Gulf rivalries it can scarcely afford.