RECENT defence agreements between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, while report-edly a source of concern for a few other Gulf states, actually present a valuable opportunity for Pakistan to broaden its diplomatic and security engagement across the Gulf region.

Rather than allowing such agreements to create friction, Pakistan should pro-actively pursue similar defence and economic cooperation frameworks with other brotherly Gulf nations.

We can achieve economic stabilisation through defence partnerships that often include components such as technology transfer, joint military training, arms sales and logistical support. These elements can generate steady revenue, attract foreign investment, and open the doors for Pakistani exports in defence manu-

facturing and services. For a country facing economic challenges, diversifying defence partnerships across multiple Gulf states would reduce dependence on any single nation while creating multiple streams of financial and industrial benefits.

A network of defence pacts with key Gulf countries would enhance Pakistan’s strategic depth and operational cap-abilities. It would also signal Pakistan’s reliability as a security partner, potentially improving its standing in multilateral forums. Such strength is not about aggression, but about credible deterrence, particularly for the Pakistan’s regional rivals.

However, this strength must be rooted in defensive capability and not in offensive ambition by ensuring that these agree-ments are explicitly framed as bilateral, non-aligned and not directed against any other Muslim nation, including Iran.

Relevant clauses in the proposed pacts should emphasise mutual defence and counterterrorism, not hostility towards third parties. We must also remain engaged in parallel diplomatic and trade initiatives with Iran, such as expanding the Iran-

Pakistan gas pipeline project, or enhancing border trade mechanisms. This way, the Gulf countries would hopefully realise that the presence of non-Muslim forces, using their land, airspace and seaports, is not actually providing them security; the forces themselves represent a threat.

The defence agreement with Saudi Arabia is not a source of division, but a template for wider cooperation. If pursued wisely, with economic logic, military prudence as well as diplomatic sensitivity, we can surely and effectively transform these partnerships into pillars of national strength while remaining a respectful and peaceful neighbour to all Muslim countries in the region, including Iran.

Air-Cdre (retd) M. Khalid Kamal
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2026