ISLAMABAD | Nazrana Times Ali Imran Chattha
Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security amid heightened regional tensions, pointing to its existing bilateral defence agreement with Riyadh and the trilateral Makkah Joint Defence Agreement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement in September 2025. According to the official joint statement issued at the time, the agreement is intended to strengthen defence cooperation and collective deterrence, with aggression against either country to be considered aggression against both.
The security framework was expanded on August 7, 2026, when Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Under the trilateral accord, an armed attack against any one of the three countries is to be regarded as an attack against all three. The agreement also provides for expanded defence cooperation.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has described the Makkah agreement as defensive in nature and said it is not directed against any particular country. Islamabad has said the arrangement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence while supporting regional peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained extensive military and security cooperation for decades, including training and advisory arrangements.
Reuters reported in May, citing Pakistani security and government sources, that Pakistan had increased its military presence in Saudi Arabia amid regional tensions, including the deployment of thousands of personnel and military aircraft. At the time, however, Pakistan’s military, Foreign Office and the Saudi government had not publicly confirmed the full details of the reported deployment.
The latest reaffirmation of the defence relationship comes as tensions across the Middle East remain elevated, including renewed hostilities involving Yemen’s Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia.
Islamabad has also continued diplomatic engagement with regional countries as part of efforts to prevent a wider escalation.
Pakistan has maintained that its defence arrangements with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are focused on collective defence and deterrence and are not directed against any specific state.
The Makkah agreement states that its objective is to strengthen collective security and promote peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have longstanding strategic and defence ties, while the inclusion of Türkiye has established a broader trilateral framework for defence cooperation.
Any future military action under the agreements would depend on the circumstances, the provisions of the respective accords and decisions taken by the governments concerned.