The recently signed (September 17, 2025) defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia – Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA), has ignited speculation about its nuclear implications. The agreement, was signed in Riyadh by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The pact which came soon after the Israeli attacks on Qatar, targeting the HAMAS negotiating team for Gaza talks, is generating considerable sparks as the pact clause “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both” marks a formal military commitment. Pakistan’s defense minister has confirmed that Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities could be made available to Saudi Arabia under the pact, signaling a potential nuclear umbrella for Riyadh.
Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (September 19, 2025)
https://t.co/DmjIRygxkX— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 19, 2025
Key Provisions of the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence pact:
- Mutual Defense Clause: The core of the pact declares that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.” This mirrors collective defense principles like NATO’s Article 5, obligating both parties to respond jointly to external threats.
- Scope: It encompasses “all military means,” including enhanced joint training, technology transfers, arms co-production, and capacity-building. While ambiguous on specifics, it builds on prior cooperation, such as Pakistani training of Saudi forces since 1967 and a 1982 Bilateral Security Cooperation Agreement allowing Pakistani deployments in Saudi Arabia.
- Nuclear Dimension: Pakistan, the world’s only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority nation, has not explicitly confirmed extending its nuclear umbrella to Saudi Arabia. However, a senior Saudi official described it as a “comprehensive defensive agreement,” and Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that nuclear capabilities would be available if needed. Analysts note this adds deterrence without formal nuclear assurances, avoiding international red lines.
India’s stand and Saudi reaction:
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on September 8, 2025 : “We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The government was aware that this development, which formalizes a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration. We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability. The Government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains.”
- Saudi Reassurance: A senior Saudi official emphasized that ties with India are “more robust than ever” and the pact is not targeted at any specific country, including India.
CNN reports, ” The senior Saudi official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, acknowledged the need to balance relations with Pakistan’s rival, India, also a nuclear power. “Our relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been. We will continue to grow this relationship and seek to contribute to regional peace whichever way we can.”
The immediate consequence of the pact could be that Saudi Arabia will not need to build nuclear weapons, to counter Iran’s nuclear capabilities. The Israeli strike on Qatar, a staunch US ally, seems to have unnerved Riyadh, also a staunch US ally. With a nuclear umbrella from Pakistan, could be to deter both Iran and Israel, as most Arab states’ delusion that alliance with the US will protect them from this situation, has vanished in thin air.
Speculation is rife this could be the first step towards an ‘Islamic NATO’ or is it just, as an analysis suggests, the nuclear angle is more about signaling deterrence than operationalizing nuclear transfers – a symbolic pact, aimed at getting more financial support from Saudi Arabia, despite it having warm relations with India.
