What happened?
On 18 September 2025, India said it would study the implications of the strategic defence pact signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The agreement, signed in Riyadh by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, commits both countries to treat aggression against either as aggression against both. This formalises a long-standing security arrangement dating back to a 1982 bilateral security cooperation pact. The announcement came months after a brief India–Pakistan military clash and amid heightened tensions in West Asia.
Why it matters to India
The new pact introduces a significant variable in India’s regional security calculus at a time when New Delhi has been steadily expanding defence ties with Riyadh. India has conducted joint naval and land exercises with Saudi Arabia, hosted senior Saudi defence officials, and signed defence export agreements. A deeper Pakistan–Saudi defence alignment could complicate India’s efforts to build its own security partnership with Saudi Arabia, making a careful assessment essential for safeguarding India’s national interests and regional stability.