In a significant development that builds upon a decades-long history of military and defense cooperation between two principal actors shaping the political and strategic trajectories of the Middle East and South Asia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan concluded a landmark accord: the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA), signed on the evening of Wednesday, September 17, 2025. The signing followed a round of high-level discussions in Riyadh between His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. This agreement represents a qualitative shift in the bilateral relationship, elevating it from conventional military cooperation to a formalized joint defense framework. Its central principle stipulates that any threat directed at either state shall no longer be regarded as an attack on a single nation, but rather on a bilateral alliance, thereby obliging a coordinated and collective response.
The timing and substance of this agreement raise a series of pressing analytical questions. Chief among these are: What is the strategic significance of this agreement and what broader dimensions does it encompass? What principal motivations led Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to formalize such a joint defense pact? How might this development reshape the regional balance of power and recalibrate strategic calculations of states across the Middle East and South Asia? Furthermore, how do major international stakeholders with direct or indirect interests — such as India, Iran, Israel, China and the United States — perceive this accord, and what are its implications for each side’s relations with these actors? Finally, what are the most substantial benefits, by any measure, that both Riyadh and Islamabad stand to gain from this historic agreement?
The Agreement’s Core Stipulations and Strategic Dimensions
The SMDA concluded between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan emerges at a particularly delicate juncture for the Middle East. It holds profound implications and far-reaching strategic dimensions that are anticipated to yield positive outcomes for the security of both the kingdom and Pakistan as well as contribute to the stability of the broader region. These implications and dimensions can be outlined as follows:
Expansion of Bilateral Military Cooperation
The defense pact builds upon and extends prior cooperation accords signed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. As stated in the joint communiqué, this new agreement is part of a broader effort by the two nations to enhance their mutual security and to advance peace and stability both regionally and globally. It seeks to accomplish these objectives by deepening various aspects of defense collaboration and reinforcing joint deterrence against potential aggression. Of particular importance is the clause stipulating that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.” This provision underscores that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan — by virtue of their political, economic and military weight as well as their geostrategic positioning — will gain enhanced deterrent capacity and elevated standing amid ongoing shifts in the international order and persistent tensions affecting regional states.
Consolidation of the Strategic Standing of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
This agreement aims to enhance Saudi Arabia’s status as a key regional power, committed to adopting responsible policies that safeguard the security and stability of the broader region. Simultaneously, it affords Pakistan a strategic partner capable of strengthening its own defense capabilities. Together, this partnership constitutes a collective security framework that enhances the protection of both the Gulf region and South Asia.
A Fundamental Transformation in Saudi Arabia’s Defense and Security Doctrine
The dominant approach of the Gulf states has traditionally been defensive rather than offensive. This agreement strengthens Saudi Arabia’s strategic stance, expands its range of options and sends a clear message to major international players that the defense strategies of the Gulf states are evolving in response to the security threats they face. Additionally, the defense pact could serve as a catalyst, prompting other Gulf states — many of which have close ties to Riyadh — to develop similar defense partnerships, thus boosting the region’s collective security framework.
Complementarity Rather Than Substitution for Existing Partnerships
This agreement does not supersede any existing cooperative frameworks or partnerships that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have with other states. Instead, it operates as a complementary arrangement designed to reinforce the security and stability of the kingdom, strengthen collective deterrence against any potential future aggression targeting either party and enables both countries to respond effectively to military challenges while advancing security and peace at the regional and global levels.
Saudi Arabia’s Capacity to Forge New Security Alliances
The agreement highlights Saudi Arabia’s ability to construct a sophisticated network of military partnerships, including with nuclear-armed states such as Pakistan — an asset that enhances both its own security and that of the Gulf and the broader region. It also signals the independence of Saudi Arabia’s decision-making process, reflecting a broader strategic shift toward the autonomous management of its regional security architecture. This move underscores that the kingdom does not intend to tether its security to a single external power or group of powers. Rather, it seeks to form alliances based on national interests, free from the strategic calculations of others.
Outcome of Prolonged Bilateral Deliberations
Despite ongoing regional escalation, including the recent Israeli airstrike that targeted Hamas leaders in Doha, the strategic scope and multifaceted provisions of the landmark defense agreement suggest that it was not a mere reaction to Israeli attacks or threats directed at Qatar. Rather, it represents the culmination of extensive and protracted negotiations and consultations between Riyadh and Islamabad, reflecting a deliberate and well-considered approach to deepening their defense and security partnership.
Context and Motivations
The agreement was concluded against the backdrop of an exceptionally volatile security environment, caused in large part by Israel’s far-right geopolitical posture in the Middle East. This orientation has intensified the pace and scope of conflict, heightening the risk of a large-scale regional conflagration with potentially severe repercussions for all states in the region and beyond. Against this backdrop, the following context and motivations underpinned the decision of both parties to sign the agreement:
Growing Israeli Risks and Threats
Since the onset of the war in Gaza, Saudi Arabia has remained acutely aware of the Israeli government’s efforts to erase the Palestinian question through policies of occupation and annexation as part of a broader strategic vision to implement the “Greater Israel” project, which envisions territorial expansion at the expense of Arab and Gulf states. This perception of threat has deepened following repeated declarations by Israel’s far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his intent to “change the face of the Middle East.” The situation escalated further when Israel launched a military strike against a Gulf state actively mediating efforts to end the conflict and secure the release of Israeli hostages. Netanyahu has since reaffirmed the possibility of launching new strikes against Qatar or any Arab state harboring members of Hamas, provoking widespread condemnation throughout the Arab and Islamic worlds. These developments have served as a catalyst for Saudi Arabia to strengthen its defense partnerships, thereby safeguarding Gulf security and stability.
For Pakistan, the perception of Israeli threats is equally significant. As an Islamic state, it does not consider itself insulated from the consequences of escalations in the Middle East, especially in light of Israel’s support for India during its recent conflict with Pakistan. This shared awareness of threat has resulted in a convergence of Saudi and Pakistani positions on the necessity of strengthening joint defense mechanisms, particularly given the longstanding strategic partnership between the two nations.
Weakness of US Security Guarantees
Although numerous Gulf states — Qatar foremost among them — have concluded defense cooperation agreements with the United States, the recent Israeli strike on Doha took place without any US response. This has fueled controversy over possible US complicity with Israel in the targeting of Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, particularly as the attack occurred only meters away from the Al Udeid US air base, which is equipped with sophisticated defense systems. This incident followed the successful interception of Iranian attacks on US bases in Doha, further highlighting the inconsistency of US actions. The recurrence of such incidents, coupled with the lack of a coherent and transparent US strategy, may have eroded Gulf confidence in US security commitments and caused political embarrassment for Washington among its regional allies. In this context, Saudi Arabia’s decision to reconsider and diversify its defense partnerships is a logical response. For Pakistan, a robust partnership with a rapidly ascending regional and global actor such as Saudi Arabia is essential to bolster its own strategic position.
Absence of a Comprehensive Arab–Islamic Defense Project
For decades, Arab and Islamic states have lacked a comprehensive defense initiative capable of safeguarding their collective security and stability in the face of emerging threats from actors pursuing destabilizing geopolitical agendas. The SMDA may therefore be interpreted as an attempt by the leaderships of both nations to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive Arab–Islamic defense cooperation framework that could eventually include other states. Such a framework would aim not at fueling conflicts, but at resolving them, preserving security and stability across the region and globally and curbing the geopolitical ambitions of certain powers whose conduct risks provoking crises and armed conflicts with far-reaching repercussions. Waiting for a comprehensive Arab–Islamic consensus on collective defense would likely be a protracted process, exacting heavy political, economic and security costs on Arab and Islamic countries. Against this backdrop, the SMDA can be seen as the first practical experiment in establishing a comprehensive Arab–Islamic defense arrangement.
Establishing Peace Through Strength and Consolidating Deterrence
The pursuit of peace through strength and a credible balance of strategic deterrence has become an urgent necessity and a central concern for Arab and Islamic countries, particularly since Israel has expanded its geopolitical ambitions and crossed red lines critical to Arab and Islamic security. This situation has driven Saudi Arabia to enter into a strategic partnership for joint military defense with nuclear-armed Pakistan. The objective is to recalibrate the regional balance of power and influence the strategic calculations of states whose geopolitical schemes pose a threat to regional stability. The effects of this move may soon become evident in shifts in Israeli and US positions regarding the region’s flashpoints. For Pakistan, participation in this defense partnership reflects its aspiration to consolidate its standing as a regional power with substantial military weight. In any case, the strengthening of deterrence capabilities — particularly nuclear deterrence — represents a key contribution to achieving peace through strength, which may prove to be the only effective means of deterring actors with destabilizing geopolitical ambitions.
Conflicting Positions and Interests of Regional and Global Actors
At the broader Arab and Islamic popular level, the agreement has been met with widespread approval in both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. It is broadly perceived as a transformative step that strengthens the national security of both states and offers a vital deterrent in the context of heightened regional tensions and global instability — particularly in response to Israel’s attempts to assert dominance over the region’s states.
With regard to regional and international reactions to the agreement, the most salient positions can be outlined as follows:
India
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that it would undertake a careful assessment of the potential ramifications of the agreement for India’s national security as well as for regional and global stability. The ministry further noted that it had been aware that the agreement — essentially a formalization of a longstanding security understanding — had been under consideration. The Indian government reiterated its commitment to safeguarding its national interests and ensuring comprehensive security across all domains.
While Indian policy circles generally interpret the agreement as being directed toward addressing threats in the Middle East, they also recognize its broader strategic implications for India and its regional interests. Given the long-standing adversarial relationship between India and Pakistan, New Delhi evaluates the agreement through the lens of its historical rivalry with Islamabad, taking into account its potential impact on the regional strategic balance. The inclusion of a joint defense clause is particularly significant, as it effectively makes Saudi Arabia a party to any future conflict involving Pakistan.
Israel
As of the time of writing, no official Israeli reaction to the agreement has been issued. Nonetheless, media coverage underscores that this accord constitutes a development with significant strategic consequences and poses a direct challenge to Israel’s regional ambitions and policies. It is interpreted as a clear message of joint deterrence directed at Israel, particularly in the wake of the Israeli strike on Doha, and may even afford Saudi Arabia a nuclear security umbrella vis-à-vis Israel. Furthermore, the agreement could serve as the foundation for a broader joint deterrence framework aimed at curbing Israeli incursions and interventions, especially across the Gulf region.
The implications of the agreement for Israel extend further still. It is viewed as a direct challenge to Israel’s declared ambition to “change the face of the Middle East.” By empowering Saudi Arabia with greater freedom of maneuver and the ability to support policies resisting Israeli attempts to eliminate the Palestinian question, the agreement represents a significant obstacle to Israel’s normalization agenda with Riyadh. It also places this objective beyond the scope of Washington’s diplomatic leverage and bargaining tools. Consequently, it is anticipated that Israel will mount an active campaign against the agreement and may, potentially in coordination with Washington, seek to weaken, undermine or neutralize its provisions.
Iran
Iran has issued no official statement regarding the agreement. However, it is notable that the Secretary-General of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani visited Saudi Arabia on September 16, 2025 — one day before the signing of the agreement. This visit may have been intended to inform Tehran of the accord, consistent with the understandings reached between the two countries since the Beijing Agreement.
Nevertheless, it is evident that from Tehran’s perspective, the agreement enhances Saudi Arabia’s deterrent capacity, strengthening the position of its traditional rival in the Gulf. By providing Riyadh with the security guarantee of a partnership with a nuclear-armed state, the agreement introduces a form of strategic balance vis-à-vis Iran’s nuclear program and regional posture. While Tehran is unlikely to escalate the situation in a public or confrontational manner, it is expected to employ quiet diplomatic efforts aimed at mitigating the agreement’s impact on its bilateral relations with Pakistan and its ongoing de-escalation process with Riyadh — particularly given that the agreement is widely interpreted within the context of Israel’s recent escalation against the Gulf states.
The United States
No official US statement has been issued regarding the agreement. Nonetheless, it is almost certain that Washington perceives this development as a sign of Saudi and Gulf skepticism toward the United States as a reliable security guarantor and as an impartial mediator in regional conflicts. Strategically, the agreement may be interpreted by US policymakers as signaling the beginning of a decline in US influence in the region. Consequently, Washington may seek to exert diplomatic or political pressure on both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, aiming to diminish the agreement’s significance.
The implications of this accord extend beyond the immediate regional security sphere, touching on broader US strategic interests and its traditional dominance in Middle Eastern affairs. Should the agreement’s influence wane, it could create a wider opening for China and other Asian powers to expand their presence and influence in the region. Furthermore, the agreement may act as a catalyst for expanded security cooperation — potentially drawing in additional countries — or for the emergence of other bilateral or multilateral defense arrangements designed to counterbalance Israeli assaults, which continue to receive full US backing.
China
China has refrained from issuing an official statement on the agreement, likely in line with its cautious approach to commenting on sensitive security arrangements and in order to avoid unnecessarily provoking India, with which Beijing has recently experienced a notable rapprochement. Unlike Washington, however, the accord is broadly consistent with China’s long-term strategic objectives.
The agreement strengthens Pakistan, one of China’s closest allies, and enhances its overall security posture. It simultaneously serves to counterbalance US and Indian influence in the region, while signaling Riyadh’s intent to diversify its strategic partnerships and recalibrate its relations with both Washington and Beijing. For these reasons, China is unlikely to oppose the agreement; on the contrary, it may quietly welcome or even tacitly encourage it, albeit without issuing a public endorsement.
Gains From the Agreement
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to reap substantial benefits across multiple domains following the signing of the agreement.
Security Gains
Security gains top the list, as the agreement significantly strengthens the deterrence dimensions of both nations’ security and defense strategies. It formalizes the principle that an attack on one is considered an attack on both, effectively creating a joint security shield. For Riyadh, this amounts to acquiring a nuclear umbrella, given Pakistan’s possession of nuclear warheads and delivery systems. Conversely, Islamabad benefits from Saudi Arabia’s advanced and diverse weapons arsenal and its substantial financial capacity to fund major armament projects. The agreement paves the way for deep defense integration, including enhanced joint training and military maneuvers, the development of a unified command-and-control framework and cooperation in defense production and localization — an increasingly crucial requirement in today’s defense industry.
Political Gains
Politically, the agreement amplifies the regional and global standing of both countries, leveraging their significant geopolitical weight. It grants Riyadh and Islamabad greater bargaining power in their diplomatic engagements, providing them with political and security alternatives that increase their leverage on issues of mutual concern. The agreement also illustrates a broader shift in the international order toward diversified alliances, replacing the rigid bilateral axes that characterized the previous era.
Economic Gains
Economically, this level of defense cooperation is likely to stimulate stronger economic ties in the medium to long term. The agreement represents the pinnacle of years of collaboration, including major milestones such as the Saudi Crown Prince’s 2019 visit to Pakistan, during which investment deals worth over $20 billion were signed. The new defense pact signals a qualitative leap in bilateral relations and is expected to catalyze further joint projects and sustained economic partnership.
Conclusion
The SMDA marks the beginning of a new phase in the longstanding, deeply rooted relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. This move by two key regional powers marks a strategic turning point in international politics, with implications that extend well beyond the Middle East and South Asia. The agreement highlights the significance of the vast geopolitical space where the security spheres of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan intersect, positioning both nations at the center of a broader international security equation.
By pooling their capabilities and leveraging complementary strengths, Riyadh and Islamabad are taking the initiative to determine their own security future, relying on enhanced deterrence as a central tool for safeguarding regional and international stability.
Looking ahead, both countries must adopt a multilayered diplomatic approach to clearly convey the agreement’s objectives. This includes emphasizing that the alliance is defensive in nature, does not target any specific country and is not intended to undermine existing treaties or understandings.
