The Saudi-Pakistan defense agreement was long overdue

The bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia has always remained warm since the independence of Pakistan. But with the signing of the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA), the relationship has veritably entered a whole new paradigm that is bound to impact the political, strategic and security dynamics of the broader Middle East and South Asia. 

Defense partnership and cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is not something new. After Pakistan’s independence in 1947, both countries maintained cordial ties. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan’s defense engagement started to materialize in 1967 when both countries signed a defense cooperation agreement during the visit that year of then Saudi minister of defense, Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz to Pakistan. This agreement led to the dispatch of over 100 Pakistani military and air force officers to Saudi Arabia. 

The defense partnership further developed into an informal strategic engagement from 1979 onwards as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan eroded existing regional security frameworks. During the 1980s, there was an increase in the involvement of Pakistan’s military in bilateral affairs owing to the presence of a military regime in Pakistan and the strategic environment of the Afghan war, which made Pakistan a frontline state. 

The next challenge for both sides will be to institutionalize this strategic partnership, so that it is no longer affected by changes in decision making circles in both countries. 

- Umer Karim

In the backdrop of the Iran-Iraq war, both sides signed a Protocol Agreement in 1982 regarding the “Deputation of Pakistani Armed Personnel and Military Training,” which paved the way for the deployment of nearly 15,000 Pakistani troops in the Kingdom. It was during this time period that close interpersonal ties developed between Saudi royals and Pakistan’s civil and military elites. Yet, as the former Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Turki Al Faisal said, the bilateral relationship remained one of closest in the world but still without an official defense treaty binding the two sides.

This defense cooperation has continued over the years as thousands of Saudi armed forces’ cadets train at the military academies of Pakistan and as various branches of both armed forces regularly hold joint exercises. Moreover, in 2018 Pakistan also sent a composite brigade to Saudi Arabia for training and advisory purposes. 

At the start of 2023, a statement of the Pakistani defense minister did hint that both sides were working on formalizing what he called a comprehensive defense agreement. 

In May this year, Pakistan’s armed forces were able to cement their professionalism both regionally and worldwide as they downed several Indian fighter jets in an aerial confrontation after India launched air and missile strikes against Pakistan. This limited confrontation impressed upon many in the region, that Pakistan remains a formidable military power and despite its economic malaise, its armed forces remain capable of delivering an effective power-packed punch to its enemies. 

Still, these developments would not have been enough had leadership on both sides not taken the final plunge. Bilateral security cooperation between the two countries had till now fallen short of its potential in part due to a reluctance by the decision makers to take the big, bold leap. And one can say without doubt, that this deal would not have materialized had Pakistan’s army chief not shown true grit and approved it. 

Similarly, from Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman must have considered the possible cons and external implications of the move-- and still went ahead with it.

This resolve and commitment echo an understanding on the part of both sides regarding the fragile nature of today’s regional security environment and the absolute need to prioritize bilateral defense and security cooperation. 

The agreement further cements security linkages between South Asia and the Gulf and introduces a new stabilizing factor. The next challenge for both sides will be to institutionalize this strategic partnership, so that it is no longer affected by changes in decision making circles in both countries.

- Umar Karim is a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham. His research focuses on the evolution of Saudi Arabia’s strategic outlook, the Saudi-Iran tussle, conflict in Syria, and the geopolitics of Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. X: @UmarKarim89