ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s evolving strategic partnership—anchored in their Mutual Defence Agreement—came under fresh spotlight as senior defence and economic experts described the alliance as a vital stabilizing force in a rapidly shifting regional landscape.
The Pakistan Institute of International Affairs hosted the seminar in Karachi on Saturday titled “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan,” featuring Lieutenant General (retd) Talat Masood, former Federal Secretary of Defence Production, and Dr Aqdas Afzal, Economic Advisor at the Macro-Fiscal Policies Unit, Ministry of Finance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen (retd) Masood said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had long maintained a close and trusted relationship, marked by strong political, economic and defence ties. He noted that the Kingdom hosts nearly 2 million Pakistani expatriates, providing crucial employment opportunities and contributing significantly to Pakistan’s economic stability.
He stressed that both Saudi Arabia and China had consistently supported Pakistan in securing International Monetary Fund (IMF) assistance over the years. He remarked that Pakistan could no longer afford to fall behind in a world undergoing rapid transformation, particularly one increasingly understood by its younger population.
Highlighting Pakistan’s longstanding role in safeguarding Saudi Arabia’s security, Talat Masood said that India was well aware of Riyadh’s support for Islamabad, a factor he believed would influence New Delhi’s strategic calculations in any future confrontation.
He reaffirmed that under the strategic mutual defence pact, any aggression against either country would be treated as an attack on both. He termed Saudi Arabia’s investment in Pakistan’s defence industrial sector “significant,” and urged Pakistan to leverage the strengthened partnership to accelerate economic improvement. He also expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia could play a constructive role in defusing any future Pakistan–India tensions.
Dr Aqdas Afzal, representing the Saudi Ministry of Finance, said the Kingdom was undergoing an “unprecedented transition” under Vision 2030, restructuring its fiscal framework and shifting focus toward long-term development goals. He noted that Saudi Arabia was actively competing with regional peers as it modernizes its economy.
Dr Aqdas Afzal observed that Pakistan’s economy had “finally stabilized” after two challenging years. He emphasized that the Pak–Saudi partnership now extends beyond traditional security cooperation, offering deeper economic and structural benefits. He recommended establishing federal and provincial fiscal committees to better steer Pakistan’s economic governance.
The seminar concluded with consensus that the Saudi–Pakistan defence pact has emerged as a cornerstone of their bilateral relationship—one poised to shape regional security and economic cooperation in the years ahead.
