A lot seems to be happening on the global front. From US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on India to Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, a big shift is currently taking place. And now, around 3 months after the tense India-Pakistan conflict during Operation Sindoor, the latter has signed a defence deal with Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) elevated their decades-long security partnership by signing a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in Riyadh. The accord stipulates that any aggression against one country will be treated as aggression against both, strengthening their joint deterrence posture.
Why this development deserves coverage is because of the timing. The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence deal comes at a time when relations between India and Islamabad have nosedived following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s counterstrike – Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence pact: What are the contours of the deal?
A joint statement by the countries states that the mutual defence pact builds on the “historic partnership extending for nearly eight decades” between the two. Moreover, the defence pact is also based on the “bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity, as well as shared strategic interests and close defense cooperation between the two countries.”
“This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” it added.
Perhaps the highlight of the pact could be understood from this very remark – any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.
Pakistan-Saudi defence pact: How has India reacted?
New Delhi resorted to a rather composed statement, saying it will analyze the implications of a mutual defence pact Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In a measured response, India stated that this pact formalizes a long-standing arrangement between the two countries.
“We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The government was aware that this development, which formalizes 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.” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
It added that the government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains.
Why Pak-Saudi defence deal matters for India?
Such a pact could pull Saudi Arabia into potential confrontations with India, given the history of four wars fought between India and Pakistan and the recent four-day border flare-up in May involving air and artillery exchanges. The agreement could therefore complicate South Asia’s already volatile security environment, a Bloomberg report said.
While it might sound like the middle-eastern country would back Pakistan if it goes to war against India in the future, the ground reality might be different. A senior Saudi official told Reuters, “The agreement is not a response to specific countries or specific events. Our relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been.”
The official signaled that the country will continue to grow this relationship and seek to contribute to regional peace in whichever way they can.
How strong are India–Saudi ties today?
Despite Saudi Arabia’s historic closeness with Pakistan, India–Saudi relations have strengthened steadily over the past two decades. Landmark agreements like the Delhi Declaration (2006) and Riyadh Declaration (2010) laid the foundation. PM Modi’s April 2025 visit to Riyadh delivered deals across energy, space, health, and sports.
The bilateral trade between the countries surged to $41.88 billion in FY2024–25.
Notably, Saudi Arabia is the fourth-largest trading partner of India, while New Delhi is the second largest for Riyadh. When it comes to the trade between Saudi and Pakistan, it is just around $3-4 billion, a number dwarfed by India and Saudi’s trade.
Analysts further indicate that the defence pact, more than helping Pakistan, might draw it into prolonged conflicts in the Middle East. In fact, the timing of the mutual defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi follows Israel’s attack on Qatar, targeting the political leadership of Hamas.
What drives India–Saudi economic engagement?
Coming back to the India picture, Saudi Arabia is a critical partner for India’s energy security, supplying nearly 18% of crude imports. Beyond hydrocarbons, bilateral trade has expanded into jewellery, automobiles, chemicals, and aviation. Investments are growing both ways. Indian firms have invested about $3 billion in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi investments in India, on the other hand, stand at around $10 billion including through the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
What about defence cooperation between India and Saudi?
Though nascent, India–Saudi defence cooperation is accelerating. Naval exercises were held in 2021 and 2023, followed by the first-ever land forces drill in 2023. In April 2025, the Strategic Partnership Council created a new ministerial committee on defence cooperation.
Additionally, the 2.6 million-strong Indian community in Saudi Arabia is the Kingdom’s largest expatriate group and is often described as the “most preferred” due to its expertise and law-abiding nature. This people-to-people link is a stabilizing factor in bilateral relations.
India and Saudi Arabia are building a broad-based strategic partnership spanning energy, technology, trade, and defence. The Pakistan–Saudi pact, while significant, comes at a time when New Delhi and Riyadh are deepening ties of their own. For India, the challenge lies in balancing security concerns with the opportunities of its expanding partnership with Saudi Arabia.