Naveed Aman Khan
PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s three-day visit to Saudi Arabia has taken place at a decisive moment for Pakistan’s foreign policy. The visit is not simply about reinforcing traditional brotherly relations with Riyadh; it is about recalibrating Pakistan’s political, economic and defense position in a rapidly changing Middle East. The presence of Field Marshal CDF Asim Munir alongside the Premier is significant because it demonstrates that the visit has both political and military dimensions. At a time when the Gulf is facing unprecedented security pressures, Islamabad wants Riyadh to see Pakistan not merely as a beneficiary of Saudi economic assistance, but as a strategic partner capable of contributing to regional security. The Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed in September 2025 already established a much stronger security framework, declaring that aggression against either country would be treated as aggression against both. The current visit can be seen as an effort to translate that political commitment into practical coordination.
The defense dimension is arguably the most important feature of the visit. Pakistan possesses one of the region’s largest and most experienced conventional militaries, while Kingdom possesses enormous financial resources, strategic geography and growing technological ambitions. Their interests increasingly complement each other. Joint training, intelligence cooperation, air defense, counterterrorism, military technology and defense production could become increasingly important areas of collaboration. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye are preparing to sign a new joint defense agreement add another important dimension to the visit. If confirmed and implemented, such cooperation could gradually create a more coordinated security architecture among three influential Muslim powers.
For Pakistan, defense cooperation is not simply about military prestige. It also has an economic component. Islamabad wants Saudi investment in productive sectors rather than relying indefinitely on deposits, loans and deferred payments. Recent discussions have identified agriculture, food security, ports, highways, airports, energy, power distribution and information technology as potential areas for Saudi investment. A Saudi business delegation visiting Pakistan in June showed that Riyadh is interested in expanding business-to-business engagement.
This is where the geoeconomic significance of the visit becomes clear. Pakistan desperately needs foreign direct investment, export expansion and stable external financing. The Kingdom is attempting to diversify its economy under Vision 2030 and is looking for commercially viable opportunities beyond hydrocarbons. Pakistan can offer a large consumer market, agricultural potential, minerals, human resources, ports, logistics and access to South and Central Asian markets. The geopolitical significance is even broader. Pakistan’s successful mediation between Washington and Tehran earlier this year elevated Islamabad’s diplomatic profile. Kingdom itself welcomed Pakistan’s peace efforts and recognized the contribution of Sharif and Munir to regional diplomacy. This creates an unusual situation in which Pakistan maintains a close defense partnership with Kingdom while simultaneously attempting to preserve channels with Iran and promote dialogue between Tehran and the West.
Islamabad’s defense partnership with Riyadh is defensive and does not constitute participation in an offensive strategy against Iran. Pakistan’s geographic reality makes such clarity essential. Pakistan’s relationship with Saudi Arabia can’t be sacrificed to satisfy Iranian sensitivities. Riyadh remains a critical economic partner, an important source of investment and employment for millions of Pakistanis and a major strategic partner. Pakistan needs a policy of strategic balance rather than strategic alignment with one side against another.
The real test will be whether this visit produces investment, technology, jobs, exports, energy security and stronger institutions. Pakistan cannot build a durable economic relationship with Saudi Arabia merely by offering strategic services; it must create an economy in which Saudi investors see sustainable commercial returns. Pakistan should seek joint production, technology partnerships and defense exports rather than allowing the relationship to remain centered primarily on troop deployments and security commitments. A genuine defense-industrial partnership involving Pakistan, Saudi and Turkiye could strengthen all three countries, provided it remains focused on deterrence, counterterrorism and regional stability rather than becoming an instrument of confrontation.
Pakistan’s objective should not be to choose between Riyadh and Tehran, but to become a credible bridge between competing regional interests. If Islamabad can maintain that balance, the Saudi visit could mark a transition from traditional brotherhood diplomacy to a mature strategic partnership with tangible economic dividends. If it fails to maintain that balance, Pakistan could find itself trapped between its defense commitments to Saudi Arabia and its geographic and diplomatic necessity to maintain stable relations with Iran. The difference between these two outcomes will depend not on the agreements signed in Riyadh, but on the strategic wisdom with which Pakistan implements them afterward.
—The writer is editor, political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
