The Shifting Sands of Gulf Security
DEEP DIVE: Decoding the Saudi–Pakistan Mutual Defence Pact
On 17th September 2025, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed an historic mutual defence pact, marking the first formal agreement of its kind between two Muslim-majority states.
The NATO-like pact extends Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence to Saudi Arabia, creating a new nuclear-backed security bloc in the Middle East that could alter regional threat perceptions and crisis dynamics.
The text is unequivocal: any aggression against one will be treated as an attack on both.
For Riyadh and Islamabad, the pact is not merely ceremonial. It is a statement of intent at a moment when Gulf security has never looked more fragile and when old assurances from Washington no longer carry the weight they once did.
This is a special Deep Dive guest post from two esteemed authors with extensive knowledge and expertise in Gulf regional security, diplomacy, and energy issues.
- Imran Nasir Sheikh is a seasoned naval aviator with extensive operational experience in maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare
- Asim Riaz holds an M.Phil in Strategic Studies from the National Defence University, Islamabad, with degrees in Energy Management and Mechanical Engineering
Their analysis peels back the many layers of significance to this landmark agreement, how it could alter the regional balance of power, and the energy market implications therein.
💥 Article stats: 2,900 words, 18-minute reading time, 3 maps & infographics
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