Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a formal mutual defence pact on Wednesday in a move that significantly strengthens a decades-long security partnership amid heightened regional tensions.
The enhanced defence ties come as Gulf Arab states grow increasingly wary about the reliability of the US as their long-standing security guarantor. Israel's attack on Qatar last week heightened those concerns.
This agreement is a culmination of years of discussions. This is not a response to specific countries or specific events but an institutionalisation of long-standing and deep co-operation between our two countries, a senior Saudi official told Reuters when asked about its timing.