Pak, Saudi ink security pact; will protect national interests: MEA

A day after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a strategic defence pact, India on Thursday said it would take all steps to protect its national interests and ensure comprehensive national security in all domains.

The agreement states that “any aggression against either of the two countries shall be considered as an aggression against both” — a pact that could recalibrate security calculations across the Gulf and South Asia.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian Government was aware that this development, which formalises a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration.

“We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability,” he said.

The “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” was signed by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Riyadh on Wednesday.

Sharif, accompanied by Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, was on a visit to Saudi Arabia.

The agreement institutionalises decades of defence cooperation and pledges expanded military collaboration and joint deterrence measures.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s brother, Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, hailed the move on X soon after the signing. “KSA and Pakistan… One front against any aggressor… Always and forever,” he posted.

The agreement marks a significant new chapter in Riyadh–Islamabad ties, putting defence cooperation at the centre of their strategic alignment amid shifting Gulf and South Asian geopolitics.

While Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state, the text of the agreement did not explicitly detail any nuclear arrangements. Observers cautioned that Islamabad’s deterrent posture will complicate strategic calculations across South Asia even as the formal pact primarily emphasises conventional defence links and integrated deterrence.

India and Saudi Arabia, however, retain deep cordial ties, anchored in centuries-old economic and socio-cultural exchanges. The two countries, which established diplomatic relations in 1947, are strategic partners across sectors ranging from defence and security to energy, investment, health and education.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Kingdom three times since 2014, most recently in April this year. During a 2016 visit, Saudi Arabia awarded PM Modi the King Abdulaziz Sash, the country’s highest civilian honour. The award was seen as recognition of his efforts to expand India’s relations in the Gulf region.

India is the second largest trade partner of Saudi Arabia, whereas Saudi Arabia is the fifth largest trading partner of India. In FY 2023-24, bilateral trade stood at $42.98 billion, with Indian exports at $11.56 billion and imports at $31.42 billion.

The Indian community in Saudi Arabia, numbering about 2.7 million, serves as a living bridge between the two countries. The diaspora is widely respected in the Kingdom for its contributions to Saudi Arabia’s development.

The annual Hajj pilgrimage is another important component of India-Saudi Arabia bilateral relations. During Crown Prince’s visit to New Delhi in February 2019, it was announced that India’s Hajj quota would be increased by 24,975 in 2019, enabling 2,00,000 Indians to perform Hajj in August 2019.

Former diplomat Veena Sikri says there is a good possibility that the pact won’t have any effect on India-Saudi relations. “See, the Saudis hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi in very high esteem.... The way PM has cultivated relations in the past 10 years is commendable,” Sikri told The Tribune. However, she maintains, India would have to examine the agreement closely and weigh multiple possible narratives behind Riyadh’s decision.

“This development can be viewed through multiple narratives. One is that Pakistan, after Operation Sindoor, is trying to build a global storyline. First came Pakistan army chief Asim Munir’s meeting with the US, and now they are attempting something similar with Saudi Arabia,” the former diplomat said.

She added that another factor could be the recent Israeli attack in Doha. “There is this perception that all Islamic countries are trying to show unity. Some are even calling it an ‘Islamic NATO',” she remarked.

India’s foreign policy establishment is expected to watch the implementation closely — particularly the operational contours of the defence cooperation and any follow-up military arrangements — while maintaining its long-standing engagement with both Riyadh and Islamabad.