Pakistan Deploys Troops, Fighter Jets to Saudi Arabia Under Strategic Defence Pact

Pakistan has deployed approximately 13,000 troops along with 10 to 18 aircraft to Saudi Arabia under a strategic defence agreement between the two countries, Saudi officials confirmed on Saturday.

According to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence, the deployment is based at King Abdulaziz Air Base in the kingdom’s Eastern Province. It includes fighter jets from the Pakistan Air Force as well as support aircraft.

Saudi authorities said the move is aimed at enhancing military coordination, strengthening operational readiness, and contributing to regional and global security.

A Pakistani government source also confirmed the deployment, noting that it is part of a bilateral agreement under which an attack on one country would be considered an attack on both.

International affairs analyst Mohammad Mehdi told PTI that the troops and aircraft were sent last month, although the deployment has only now been publicly disclosed. He added that around 10,000 Pakistani personnel were already present in Saudi Arabia under prior arrangements.

Mehdi emphasized that the newly deployed forces are intended strictly for defensive purposes.

Official sources further indicated that Pakistan had also provided missile defence systems to Saudi Arabia during recent tensions involving Iran and reported strikes on US bases in the Gulf.