Saudi Arabia | Pakistan

Makkah joint defence pact signed on Friday in holy city amid conflicts and military tensions in region PM Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Recep Tayyip Erdoan meet in Makkah to formalise joint agreement A paper agreement will not bring security to Saudi Arabia, reacts Tehran Pakistan, KSA, Türkiye united.

• MBS, Shehbaz, Erdogan sign Makkah Joint Defence Agreement to boost ‘collective deterrence against any aggression’ • PM hopes accord will serve as ‘shield of peace’; Erdogan says alliance is open to other friendly nations • Saudi minister insists new bloc no threat to ‘any country’ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed a joint defence pact in the holy city of Makkah, which empowers member states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, which seeks to strengthen the collective security of the three states, was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and PM Mohammad bin Salman, and Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Al-Safa Palace. The signing of the agreement was announced by three countries through a joint statement, which was published by Pakis­tan’s Foreign Office (FO) and Saudi Arabia’s official SPA press agency. It said the pact reflected the three countries’ “shared commitment to further...

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye on Friday signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, committing to enhanced collective security, expanded defence cooperation and closer strategic coordination among the three countries.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed a joint defence pact in Makkah that empowers member states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement aimed at strengthening “collective deterrence against any act of aggression”, the Foreign Office (FO) said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and PM Mohammed bin Salman, and Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the pact after the “Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence” was held at the Al-Safa Palace. The agreement reflects the three countries’ “shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond, in pursuit of a secure and prosperous future”, the FO said. “The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states s...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday arrived in Jeddah on a visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday evening for a three-day visit. Apart from CDF Munir, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi are also accompanying the premier on the visit. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, who is currently in Saudi Arabia after concluding a visit to Jordan, will be part of the delegation as well. In a post on X, the government said the premier landed in Jeddah and was received by Deputy Governor of Makkah Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz at the airport. Saudi Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Environment Engineer Abdulrahman and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq were also among the officials present to greet PM Shehbaz. The premier will also perform Umrah and visit Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) mosque in Madina during the visit, the government said. Earlier, FO...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday left for a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he will be accompanied by the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. In a post on X, the government said that the premier has left for the visit at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Apart from CDF Munir, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi will also accompany the premier on the visit. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, who is currently in Saudi Arabia after concluding a visit to Jordan, will be part of the delegation as well. The premier will also perform Umrah and visit Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) mosque in Madina during the visit, the government said. Earlier, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi announced the visit in a weekly briefing. “During the visit, the prime minister will meet the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and discussions will focus on consolidating the Pa...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake a one-day official visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, with regional security, the evolving situation in the Gulf, the Yemen conflict, and progress in the US-Iran negotiations expected to dominate.

Saudi Arabia has appointed Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy as its new ambassador to Pakistan, replacing Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, as the two longtime allies continue to expand cooperation in defence, investment and regional security amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

Houthi rebels claimed a missile strike on Saudi Arabia on Saturday, hours after vowing to retaliate against the kingdom for attacks as the Middle East conflict expanded. Riyadh struck Houthi military targets in Hodeida on Friday, with rebel media reporting two wounded after the Yemeni group announced a maritime blockade of the top oil producer and hit its ships. The flare-up marks a new front of the war that has engulfed the region following US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February, and comes on top of Iran’s parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Riyadh’s only other maritime route. The rebels had accused Saudi Arabia of a “dangerous escalation” and said its actions “will not go unanswered”. The Houthis’ Ansarollah media said on Telegram early on Saturday that a “Yemeni missile strike” had sparked fires in the southern Saudi city of Jizan on the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment on the claim. But Riyadh’s civil defence agency had issued brief warnings to residents in Jizan and Yanbu early ...

The United States on Wednesday announced a landmark deal with Saudi Arabia that would establish a civilian nuclear programme in the Gulf country, with Washington insisting the agreement includes non-proliferation safeguards. The move comes as the United States under President Donald Trump fights a war with Iran that began in large part over concerns with Tehran’s nuclear programme — an issue that remains a key point of contention during now-stalled peace talks. Two agreements — one on “peaceful nuclear cooperation” and another on “bilateral safeguards” — were signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the US Energy Department said. The text of the deals was not immediately made public. “Together, these two agreements lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear non-proliferation,” the department said in a statement. A provision in the deal ...

Pakistan on Wednesday “unequivocally” condemned the recent threats issued by Houthis against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Foreign Office said. Islamabad’s statement comes after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, announced an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front in the Middle East conflict. The naval blockade, if enforced, could cut off access to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed US-Iran fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz. It remains unclear how the Houthis would enforce such a blockade. “Threats against commercial shipping and trading with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and violate established principles of international law,” the FO said in a statement on Wednesday, noting the “continued threats” by Houthis. Islamabad said it was “particularly concerned by reports of threats directed against vessels engaged in lawful commercial trade” with Saudi Arabia. “Such actions thre...

Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced a maritime embargo of Saudi Arabia on Monday, stepping up the US-Iran war as the rebels threatened the top oil exporter’s ability to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The group did not say how it planned to impose the embargo, whose declaration came as Iran said it was back to a “full-scale war” with the United States, and as Washington and Tehran battled to control the strait. Saudi Arabia and the Houthis traded fire last week for the first time in years, threatening a 2022 truce that has held despite expiring. The exchange of strikes was set off when an Iranian plane attempted to land in Sanaa, challenging Saudi Arabia’s hegemony over Yemeni skies. The Houthis’ naval blockade, if enforced, could further strain Saudi Arabia’s economy by cutting off access to its Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade is also expected to hurt global markets that rely on Saudi Arabia — which produces over 10 m...

Deputy Chairman of the Senate, Syedaal Khan Nasir, has said that the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are built on a solid foundation of faith, mutual trust, and shared progress.

The US State Department said on Wednesday it has approved the sale of an estimated $1.96 billion in weapons to bolster Saudi Arabia’s air defences, as the war ramps up in the Middle East. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-Nato ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region,” the State Department said in a release. Among the weapons the Gulf kingdom seeks are up to 20,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems and its warheads, which the US Navy’s website describes as “an inexpensive way to destroy targets while limiting collateral damage in close combat”. The principal contractor will be BAE Systems in Nashua, New Jersey, the department said. “The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defence, and improving interoperability with US forces, and other regional and Nato forces,” the ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday strongly condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia, describing them as a blatant violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with the potential to further undermine regional peace and stability.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan “strongly condemns the blatant attacks” against Saudi Arabia the previous night, reaffirming Islamabad’s unwavering support for the kingdom’s security. The premier’s condemnation in an X post did not further specify the attacks. But, his statement came after Saudi Arabia said on Monday that it had intercepted ballistic missiles fired at the country’s south by Houthis. “Such reprehensible actions constitute a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and have the potential to further undermine regional peace and stability,” PM Shehbaz warned. He said Pakistan “reaffirms its unwavering support for the kingdom’s security and stands in complete solidarity with the brotherly kingdom of Saudi Arabia at this critical time”. “On its part, Pakistan will continue to support all sincere efforts aimed at promoting peace, stability, security, and mutual understanding across the region,” he added. Pakistan and Saudi Arab...

WASHINGTON: Pakistan on Monday backed Saudi Arabia at an emergency UN Security Council briefing on Yemen, reaffirming Islamabad’s support for the kingdom’s security and territorial integrity and calling for all parties concerned to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy. Yemen has been gripped by conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, triggering a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the beleaguered government the following year. The UN Security Council briefing came after an attack by the Yemeni government on an international airport in Sanaa on Monday. The Yemeni government said it wanted to prevent an Iranian plane from landing in Sanaa after it failed to convince a Houthi delegation, which went to Tehran for assassinated Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral, to board a Yemen flag carrier’s flight instead. Hours after the airport attack, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted ballistic missiles fired at the country’s south by Houthis. Monday’s flare-up ...

Yemen’s Houthis targeted Saudi Arabia on Monday, hours after the rebels accused the kingdom of attacking Sanaa airport — the biggest flare-up in years between the two sides that threatens to upend a frozen conflict. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government claimed responsibility for the attack on the Houthi-held airport, saying it wanted to prevent an Iranian plane from landing. It came after they failed to convince a Houthi delegation that went to Tehran for the late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s funeral to board a flight on domestic carrier Yemenia instead. “Air defences dealt with a ballistic missile threat launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards the southern region,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in a social media post. Earlier, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of “ending the de-escalation phase” and warned that “this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished”. The latest escalation threatens to unravel a truce that has been holding since 2022 despite ...

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia urge restraint