RIYADH : The agreement, signed in Riyadh on Wednesday by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was hailed by both governments as a historic step in deepening strategic cooperation. According to a joint statement published by the Saudi Press Agency, the pact aims to “develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.”

Under the deal, the two nations pledged closer military coordination, expanded training programs, and shared defence planning. Saudi Arabia described the pact as a symbol of its “historic partnership” with Pakistan, while Islamabad said it reflects a shared commitment to strengthening security and promoting peace across the region.

Sharif, welcomed with full royal protocol including Saudi F-15 fighter jets, emphasized the pact’s significance, noting that the two nations’ alliance stretches back nearly eight decades. Since 1951, when both sides signed their first “Treaty of Friendship,” Pakistan has deployed forces to the Kingdom several times and trained more than 8,000 Saudi military personnel.

For Saudi Arabia, the defence deal strengthens ties with the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed state and signals a readiness to diversify its security partnerships. For Pakistan, it provides strategic backing from one of the world’s wealthiest states and custodian of Islam’s holiest sites.