The reported defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia has stirred widespread excitement at home. Many Pakistanis see it as a historic moment, imagining their country as the ultimate guardian of the Kingdom and the holy sites. Emotional calls about “defending Makkah and Madinah” or “standing against Israel” are not uncommon. But before celebrating too loudly, it is worth asking what this agreement actually means in practical terms.
Saudi Arabia’s military power still rests heavily on U.S.-supplied systems — from fighter jets to missile defences. These weapons require American maintenance, training, and in many cases, cannot be used independently against U.S. or allied interests. Yet to say the Kingdom is entirely dependent on Washington would be misleading. In recent years, Riyadh has diversified its defence ties, buying drones from China, exploring advanced air defence from Russia, and expanding procurement from Europe. After the 2019 Aramco attacks, when America’s support seemed hesitant, Saudi leaders drew a clear lesson: do not rely on a single supplier.
Pakistan’s role under this pact should also be viewed realistically. Pakistani forces will not be flying Saudi fighter jets or operating Patriot batteries. Their value lies in areas where they have proven strength: protecting key sites, training Saudi forces, and providing counterterrorism expertise. For decades, Riyadh has trusted Pakistani troops with sensitive duties — a level of confidence not easily extended to Western contractors.
Other Muslim-majority states show that dependency does not equal paralysis. Turkey, despite tensions with the U.S., built its own drones that changed the course of several conflicts. Egypt diversified with French and Russian aircraft. Both remain tied to the West, but they still carve out space for strategic autonomy. Iran, meanwhile, built an independent defence industry but at enormous economic and diplomatic cost. Few countries would want to pay that price.
Change is already visible in the Gulf. Saudi Vision 2030 aims to produce half of the Kingdom’s defence needs locally. The UAE is co-developing fighter jets with South Korea. Chinese and Turkish drones are widely in use. The region is slowly moving toward a more balanced military future.
Pakistan itself faces constraints: economic dependence, mixed military hardware, and reliance on Western-trained doctrines. But it also brings assets no one else in the Muslim world does — a nuclear deterrent, a growing domestic arms industry, and unmatched counterterrorism experience. These strengths explain why Saudi Arabia values Pakistan as a partner.
The new pact is neither a guarantee of Muslim unity nor a hollow illusion. Its importance lies in symbolism, deterrence, and trust. For Pakistan, it reinforces ties with a crucial ally in a time of economic strain. For Saudi Arabia, it adds a dependable partner beyond Western support. Strategic independence will take years to achieve, but until then, practical partnerships and careful balancing remain the reality.
The challenge for both nations is to see this agreement not as a cause for euphoria, but as one step in a much longer journey toward genuine security and self-reliance.
