Saudi-Pakistan defence pact and talks about Arab-Islamic military coordination show anger at Israel and frustration with US

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed yesterday a landmark mutual defence pact in Riyadh, elevating decades of informal cooperation into a formal security guarantee. The agreement, endorsed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, states that any aggression against one will be treated as aggression against both. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, attended the signing, underlining its importance. 

The timing is telling. The pact comes just days after an Israeli air strike in Doha on September 9 killed several Hamas negotiators, including relatives of senior figure Khalil al-Hayya, during talks over a possible ceasefire. Qatar denounced the strike as a violation of sovereignty and international law. The attack galvanised Arab and Islamic governments, sparking an emergency summit in Doha on September 15, where leaders condemned Israel, debated collective security, and urged stronger measures to deter further attacks.

Saudi officials stress the agreement with Pakistan is not a direct reaction to these events but the institutionalisation of a “long-standing strategic alignment”. Yet few doubt the regional context shaped its urgency. For decades Riyadh and Islamabad have enjoyed a close, almost fraternal relationship rooted in faith, finance and security. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly bailed out Pakistan with loans and oil concessions, while Pakistan has provided training, expertise and troops to the kingdom. The new pact takes this bond to the level of a formal defence shield.

Israel as the trigger

The Israeli strike on Doha has added momentum to calls for an “Arab NATO”. Egypt, with the region’s largest army, is pressing for a Cairo-based command, while Pakistan, the world’s only nuclear-armed Muslim state, has proposed a joint task force to monitor Israeli actions and adopt effective deterrent and offensive measures. At the Doha summit, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar accused Israel of war crimes and warned that it must not be allowed to attack Islamic countries with impunity.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani went further, calling the strike an assault on mediation itself and criticising the West for its failure to hold Israel to account. He urged Muslim nations to adopt tangible measures to break what he described as a cycle of bloodshed and destruction. His words resonated across Arab capitals, where doubts about relying on the United States as a security guarantor have grown.

Waning faith in Washington

For decades the US underpinned Gulf security, but its failure to prevent the Doha strike has deepened scepticism. Analysts note that Arab states are now exploring defence integration not because Washington encouraged it, but because they no longer see the US as willing or able to act. Some analysts say the governments feel they have no choice but to move ahead with their own frameworks.

This shift is striking. Washington once pressed Arab states to work together against Iran. Today, Israel is the focus of their concern. Riyadh also sees the Pakistan deal as bulwark against Iran, signalling deterrence on multiple fronts.

Implications for India

For India, the Saudi-Pakistan pact rings alarm bells. Islamabad has long used foreign alliances to bolster its domestic position and internationalise disputes such as Kashmir. Turkey, a NATO member, has already echoed Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir and in the past supplied hardware and personnel during conflicts with India. An alliance where an attack on one is treated as an attack on all could embolden Pakistan and raise tensions in South Asia.

India’s deep defence and energy ties with Israel may also clash with the anti-Israel thrust of Arab military integration. Yet Riyadh and Abu Dhabi remain close partners of New Delhi, and Saudi officials insist their relationship with nuclear-armed India is strong. For now, the focus of the proposed alliance is Israel, not South Asia.

Old friendship, new formality

The Saudi-Pakistan relationship has endured through oil concessions, cash support and joint military ventures. Pakistani troops have served in the kingdom before, while Saudi aid has kept Pakistan’s economy afloat more than once. This defence pact therefore marks less a new friendship than a formal elevation of a tested partnership.

Its wording leaves open key questions. Saudi officials describe it as comprehensive, covering “all military means”, but whether this extends to nuclear deterrence is unclear. That ambiguity may be deliberate, signalling both deterrence and flexibility.

A shifting order

The Israeli strike in Doha has accelerated a wider realignment in the Middle East. The Saudi-Pakistan defence pact, and talks about further Arab-Islamic military coordination, show anger at Israel and frustration with the US. However, given competing national and regional interests, it remains to be seen whether these initiatives lead to a lasting alliance. Yet, there is clearly a trend where Arab and Islamic states are seeking independent mechanisms of defence as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads Israel into an unprecedented confrontationist stance. 

For Israel, the fear of a united Arab military response is closer than ever. For the United States, the risk is that allies it long sought to unify are now doing so on their own terms, in ways Washington may not welcome. And for India, the challenge will be to navigate a new strategic landscape where old friends are drawing closer to its most bitter rival.