The GCC’s First Call: Why Ukraine, Not Pakistan, Is Now Defending Saudi Skies Plus Pro

Iranian Shahed-type loitering munitions began striking Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) targets in March 2026. The first call for counter-drone help went to Kyiv, not Islamabad.

Within weeks, Ukraine signed 10-year defence cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) covering interceptor drone exports, counter-drone training, and – in Qatar’s case – joint manufacturing facilities. By mid-March, 228 Ukrainian counter-drone specialists were deployed across five Gulf states, establishing sensor networks, command-and-control (C2) protocols, and intercept crew training programmes.