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A New Power Play? What the Saudi-Pakistan Defence Pact Really Means for the Region Quwa Premium
On 17 September, Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, signed a bilateral defence agreement aimed at strengthening the military cooperation between the two countries.
In a joint statement, the two sides said that the “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” (SDMA) “aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.”
In addition, the SDMA also includes a statement that suggests that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”
Not a Pact, but Not ‘Nothing’ Either
While apparently evoking some of the language of a mutual defence pact, the SDMA appears more than simply a commitment to enhance bilateral defence ties. In fact, in that sense, Riyadh and Saudi Arabia already maintain such relations; rather, it seems that the SDMA involves an additive element.
Saudi officials reportedly revealed that the two sides negotiated the terms of the SDMA over a period of several years, adding that the agreement “is not a response to specific countries or specific events, but an institutionalisation of longstanding and deep cooperation between our two countries.”
Moreover, the SDMA will not take anything away from the current trajectory of Riyadh’s relations with New Delhi, with Saudi officials telling the Guardian that the “relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been.”
That said, the SDMA could indicate that the two countries are adding another layer to their already longstanding bilateral defence relations.
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