The Saudi-Pakistan defence pact resets India's strategic challenge

New Delhi should study the deal to craft a strategy that can keep the interests of Riyadh-led Gulf states aligned with India's

- HARSH V. PANT & RAHUL RAWAT

On 17 September 2025, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Pakistan, projecting itself as the only nuclear-armed Muslim majority state, entered a strategic mutual defence agreement (SMDA).

The bilateral pact has a key clause which underlines their mutual commitment by stating that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.” This Nato-like defence commitment turns their ‘shortof-alliance partnership’ into a ‘formal bilateral alliance.’ For the KSA, Israel's recent attack on Qatar and concerns for the Gulf region’s overall security is a major driver; whereas, for Pakistan, any development in its alliance network always had an Indian element as a motivating factor.

The maturation of the Saudi-Pakistan strategic partnership into an SMDA has its roots in the historical evolution of the relationship. Links can be traced back to a time that predates the creation of Pakistan. In 1946, the KSA’s Prince Faisal made a case at the United Nations in favour of the struggle of the All India Muslim League, which sought a separate state. The KSA later became one of the first states to recognize Pakistan as a sovereign state.