ISLAMABAD: Egypt has congratulated Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the signing of a ‘Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement’ and described it as an “important milestone,” the Pakistani foreign office said on Friday.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the pact on Wednesday, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, a move that will enhance joint deterrence and strengthen decades of military and security cooperation.
The defense agreement comes at a time of extreme volatility in the Middle East, where prolonged conflicts have heightened fears of wider instability, reinforcing the urgency Gulf states place on stronger security and defense partnerships.
In his telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty said the defense agreement will strengthen longstanding partnership, trust and cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
“The two leaders also exchanged views on regional & international developments, underscoring the importance of peace, stability & economic progress,” the Pakistani foreign office said. “They reaffirmed their commitment to multilateral cooperation and look forward to substantive interactions at the United Nations General Assembly next week.”
The agreement also materializes as Pakistan looks to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that forced it to secure loan packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Saudi Arabia has bailed Pakistan out of financial troubles over the years, extending loans to the South Asian country and providing it oil against deferred payments.
Defense and economic experts have said that the pact can help Islamabad stabilize its economy via increased jobs, sharing of technology and exports to the Kingdom.
“Yes, both Muslim brotherly countries are leveraging their respective strengths in this historic pact: Pakistan’s military capability and Saudi Arabia’s economic strength,” Mushahid Hussain Syed, former chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Defense, told Arab News on Thursday.
Khaqan Najeeb, former finance adviser to Pakistan’s finance ministry, said the pact had formalized decades of ties and opened space for deeper trade and investment between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
“For Saudi Arabia, Pakistan offers fertile land, skilled labor and potential food security links,” Najeeb said. “For Pakistan, Riyadh is its top remittance source and a critical investor.”
He said the defense agreement is in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program and gives Pakistan a chance to stabilize its economy “through jobs, capital, and technology.”
