ISLAMABAD – $1.5 billion defense deal between Pakistan and Sudan has been put on hold after Saudi Arabia withdrew support and raised objections. The agreement involving weapons and fighter jets was still in progress but has now stalled amid growing regional tensions linked to Sudan’s ongoing conflict and shifting Gulf influence.
A report shared by foreign news agency said the controversial agreement is now placed on hold, and was part of high-value defense arrangement to supply advanced weapons and combat aircraft to Sudan, a country already engulfed in one of the world’s most devastating and complex civil wars.
Saudi Arabia has not only objected to the deal but has also refused to provide financial backing, effectively forcing Islamabad to pause the agreement. Saudi officials have not issued an official response to these reports, while neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor Pakistan’s military have commented.
The arms deal comes at time when Sudan is already trapped in conflict between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The conflict devastated North African nation, destabilized Red Sea region, and turned Sudan into a flashpoint for competing foreign powers, with fears rising that the country could fragment further.
The defense agreement entered its final stages in January and was originally brokered with Saudi mediation. At the time, however, Saudi financial involvement was not publicly disclosed. The deal was part of a broader wave of Pakistani defense agreements under development, particularly after Pakistan’s military hardware gained international attention following clashes with India in May last year.
For the unversed, Saudi–Pakistan Defence Pact, signed in 2025, is formal agreement that strengthens long-standing military relationship between the two countries. It includes a key provision that any attack on one nation will be regarded as an attack on both, similar to a mutual defence arrangement.
The pact enhances cooperation in military training, joint exercises, intelligence sharing, and coordinated defence planning to improve their ability to respond to regional security threats. It also shows Saudi Arabia’s intention to broaden its security partnerships beyond traditional allies and increases Pakistan’s strategic importance in the Middle East.
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