Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a strategic mutual defense agreement, under which an attack on one country will be considered an attack on both.
The agreement is called the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement. It was signed on September 17, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was signed by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The key provision of the agreement is that “any aggression against one party will be considered aggression against both.” The document does not explicitly mention the use of nuclear weapons or specific military assets, but it states that the agreement covers all defense and military means that the parties deem necessary depending on the threat.
The signing took place against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions, particularly following Israeli airstrikes on Qatar and concerns among Arab states about the reliability of US protection. The long-standing relationship between the countries includes cooperation in training, the presence of Pakistani military personnel in Saudi Arabia, and the protection of Islamic holy sites.
The military forces of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
To understand which countries are part of the agreement, it is important to assess their military capabilities:
