The Saudi-Pakistan Defence Agreement (SPDA) is hot news. This followed the emergency summit of 40 Arab-Islamic nations at Doha on September 15, after Israeli planes struck a residential compound in Doha, targeting Hamas but missed the Hamas leadership. Qatar, who partners the US in terrorism, was funding Hamas through Israel during the two previous Netanyahu governments and chairs the drama of brokering ceasefire, obviously had advance information of the Israeli strike, given that it hosts the US CENTCOM headquarters, and the US greenlighted the Israeli strike, with 10 Israeli warplanes flew 1,800 km through Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia to strike Doha (https://news4masses.com/permanentizing-russia-ukraine-war/). That’s why Qatar says it will continue to broker the Gaza ceasefire (sic). Incidentally, there are indications Qatar also assisted the CIA-brokered regime change in Nepal. Qatar’s Emir Thani is a two-timing slippery character. Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi, together with foreign minister S Jaishankar, personally receiving him at the airport when he visited India, Qatar continues to hold Commander Purnendu Tiwary, former Indian Navy officer in prison on trumped up spying charges.
The agenda for the Arab-Islamic emergency summit was to deliver a united response to Israel. The summit was attended by Pakistan and Turkey; Turkey is a hardcore supporter of Pakistan. The discussions produced little beyond condemnations and vague pledges. However, the idea of an Arab-Islamic NATO mooted by Pakistan received all round applause; Pakistan being the only Muslim nuclear state with an estimated 70 nuclear warheads. Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar, in the presence of Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, said that Israel should not be allowed to get away with attacking Islamic countries and killing people with impunity. Pakistan co-sponsored the summit, with Ishaq Dar stating that the world's 1.8 billion Muslims were eyeing this summit for a clear roadmap. Amusingly Shehbaz Sharif assured Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of UNSC support as Pakistan holds a non-permanent seat until 2026. The summit’s joint statement urged Arab and Muslim countries to review ties with Israel, explore economic and diplomatic measures, and even consider legal action.
Pakistan has been leveraging multilateral alliances and platforms over the years, using Arab funding and technology amid its economic crisis, and has always tried to internationalise Kashmir at forums like the OIC Summits. In 2023, four Pakistani state-owned companies signed a MoU with Saudi Arabia to build Pakistan’s largest oil refinery with an investment of USD 10 billion in Gwadar Port. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan labelled Israel's strikes a "greedy, bloodthirsty" assault on sovereignty’ but will wag his tail when he meets Donald Trump at the White House on September 25, 2025. Erdogan’s tail must be already smouldering with the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, former al-Qaeda, headed to New York to attend the UNGA – first by a Syrian president since 1967.
On the twin questions of the proposed Arab-Islamic NATO, and attacking Israel, the following should be taken into account:
- A Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) of 43 Muslim countries has been in place for past several years.
- In 2017, former Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif was employed by Saudi Arabia as chief of the Saudi-led IMCTC. Raheel Sharif continues to head the IMCTC.
- During the Iran-Iraq war 15,000 Pakistani troops were stationed in Saudi Arabia to boost its security.
- Saudi Arabia is outsourcing its soldiers, especially to Yemen for 3,500 Saudi Riyals per soldier per month.
- Pakistan has been providing security to the royals of Saudi Arabia.
- Reports of even 20 years back suggested that if Iran went nuclear, Pakistan would supply tactical nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia, which were always kept in readiness.
- Countries like the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco attending the Doha Summit have formal diplomatic ties with Israel. Many leaders called for collective defence against Tel Aviv but many of them maintain embassies, trade agreements, and security contacts with Israel.
- The question of Pakistan striking Israel is absurd; Pakistan wouldn’t dare to do so with Israel also a nuclear state and US nukes (as also Israeli?) stored in Pakistan.
- Saudi Arabia wouldn’t attack Israel with the amount of in situ military presence (including Prince Sultan Air Base serving as a base for US AD systems, USAF’s 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, and a newer Logistical Support Area in Genkins) plus the USD 142 billion arms package signed on May 13, 2025, during Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, which is part of a larger commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest USD 600 billion in the US.
- Will there be consensus as to who will head the Arab-Islamic NATO - Saudi Arabia, Egypt or Pakistan? Will this be acceptable to all or will there be an emergency summit every time?
Yes, Turkey will continue to arm Pakistan as always, even though India has recommenced dealings with Turkey which it had suspended in the immediate aftermath of Operation ‘Sindoor’. As to the ‘proposed’ Arab-Islamic NATO attacking Israel, it is unlikely to go beyond the sub conventional/small skirmishes, unless an Arab-Israel war is forced by Israel on behalf of the US. As per recent news, Israel is showing concern about Egypt’s military build-up. But this may be to ward off the 1.5 million Palestinians that Israel and the US want to vacate Gaza; which Egypt views as an imminent threat. Trump did his innocent trapeze by describing Qatar as “a great ally” while noting that Israel “has to do something about Hamas”.
There is plenty of speculation over the Saudi-Pakistan Defence Agreement (SPDA) signed on September 17, 2025; including how this would affect India especially with the joint statement, stating, “This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”
Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, has said that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons would be made available to Saudi Arabia under the terms of the SPDA the two countries have signed; Saudi Arabia is now under Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella. Israel has launched attacks against Qatar, Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, none of which has a nuclear deterrent, but in the event of an Arab-Israel war, will Pakistan dare to attack Israel? It is also being said that the pact would provide “strategic depth” to Pakistan, which again looks absurd considering the distances involved.
The emergency Doha Summit no doubt was because “some” reaction had to be shown, while the Arab/Islamic nations are mostly silent at the carnage in Gaza – 680,000 deaths up to April 25, 2025, adding imposed deprivation deaths to mortalities (https://arena.org.au/politics-of-counting-gazas-dead/); as well as remaining immune to what China is doing to the Uighurs – even Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have nothing to say.
The SPDA appears engineered by the Trump Administration in response to Modi hobnobbing with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the SCO Summit in Tianjin, plus Indian participation in Zapad – exercising with Russia and Belarus. Trump is already focused on Iran and the SPDA could be his signal to Tehran. After all, he adopted Pakistani army chief Asim Munir as a mascot to box-in Iran. Given Trump’s dangerous psychotic mental state (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6145972/), he wants to take over Iran before destabilizing rest of the Middle East – same way he hallucinates about demolishing Russia before taking on China. It must be mentioned here that years ago, the US and Israel supported the idea of an Arab NATO; aiming at a bloc of Arab states working with Israel to balance against Iran. That’s why Trump wants to liquidate Iran in conjunction with Israel; the nuclear bit is only a hoax.
Some are viewing the SPDA as a backstab after Modi hugged the Crown Prince during his last visit to Saudi Arabia and was awarded the Order of King Abdulaziz Special Class, the second-highest civilian honour of Saudi Arabia. India does import arms from Israel and oil from Russia but then India voted for the two-state solution, supporting Palestine at UNGA – against what the US and Israel want. Australia, Canada and the UK have officially recognized Palestine. And France is likely to follow suit. But this is knowing Trump/America has, and always will, veto a two-state solution for Gaza.
India has robust, long-standing relations with the Arab world, built on economic, cultural, and historical ties, with particularly strong links to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. Bilateral trade exceeds USD 160 billion, driven by energy imports and investments, while cultural connections are seen in shared heritage and diaspora communities. India maintains strong diplomatic ties through institutional forums like the Arab-Indian Cooperation Forum and has a close relationship with the Arab League. Notably, a senior official told media after signing of the SPDA, “This agreement is a culmination of years of discussions. This is not a response to specific countries or specific events but an institutionalisation of longstanding and deep cooperation between our two countries.” Expecting Saudi Arabia to attack India in case of an India-Pakistan would be the height of stupidity – same as the China-Pakistan Higher Than the Mountains, Deeper Than The Sea relationship – as seen during Operation ‘Sindoor’. But yes, China did provide arms and intelligence support, beyond which it only called upon the warring sides to exercise restraint.
The proposed Arab-Islamic NATO and the SPAD, however, would have certain fallouts. Pakistan is looking at an influx of arms, energy, and funds, with China and Turkey already supplying weapons and munitions at industrial scale. Saudi weapons and boots will never be deployed against India but SPDA could lead to Saudi Arabia importing more Pakistani weaponry, joint exercises, intelligence sharing and the like. Pakistan signalling the US and China an alternative alliance is also naïve since Pakistan has no choice but to continue appeasing both China and the US. But yes, it can work on a tighter China-Saudi embrace and feel happy about the nuclear umbrella it is extending although nuclear weapons are assured mutual destruction and providing nukes to Saudis amounts to nuclear proliferation. At the same time. Pakistan’s domestic sectarian vulnerabilities, lack of parliamentary oversight, and dependence on external financing will continue.
Saudi Arabia would be happy to officially have Pakistani military support although it already has Raheel Sharif in situ heading the 43 nation IMCTC. It is being said that Saudi Arabia has guaranteed itself a powerful military ally outside Washington’s influence amid growing concerns over a greater Israel. But hypothetically if Israel strikes Riyadh (like Doha), how will Pakistan defend Saudi Arabia – position AD systems in Saudi Arabia, attack Israel or ask its soldiers/mercenaries to use slingshots? Will Riyadh allow Pakistan positioning Pak AD system in Saudi Arabia because US systems failed to protect its oil facilities from Houthi drone attacks?
Before the Doha emergency summit, Egypt and Saudi Arabia had secured Arab League approval for joint efforts on counterterrorism, maritime security, and protecting critical infrastructure; aimed at boosting regional stability without forming a standing military alliance. Here, the question is can the Arab-Islamic NATO come up without American support, and if yes, how strong would it be?
As for India, Saudi Arabia has stated that this pact does not shift its relations with India or constitute an adversarial stance toward India. But Pakistan may be tempted to heighten its proxy war on India. However, India must take into account the Pakistan-China-Bangladesh-Turkey nexus and Trump hugging Pakistan, to which the SPDA is now added.
Finally, an erudite veteran-scholar, close to the establishment, writes: “One thing we must appreciate about Pakistan is its ability to keep adversaries happy; US and China, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. It plays all four countries and they all are happy with Pakistan. On the other hand, the case is reversed in the case of India. We have antagonised the US and Russia at different times and the Middle East barely tolerates India owing to our proximity to Israel and of course religion too plays an important role.” Are the powers that be listening?
The author is an Indian Army veteran. Views expressed are personal.
