India has said it will examine the potential impact of the mutual defence agreement signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which includes a key clause stating that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”
The pact was signed following Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to Riyadh, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. India noted that the agreement formalizes a long-standing arrangement between the two countries.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated: “We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The government was aware that this development, formalizing a long-standing arrangement, had been under consideration. We will study its implications for India’s national security as well as regional and global stability. The government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests across all domains.”
According to a joint statement, Sharif visited Riyadh at the invitation of the Saudi Crown Prince. During their meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace, both leaders reviewed the historic and strategic ties between the two nations and discussed topics of common interest.
The pact builds on a partnership spanning nearly eight decades, rooted in “bonds of brotherhood, Islamic solidarity, shared strategic interests, and close defense cooperation.” It aims to enhance security collaboration, strengthen joint deterrence, and ensure that any attack on one country is treated as an attack on both. Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was also present during the meeting.
This agreement comes amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s counterstrike, Operation Sindoor.
India and Saudi Arabia have seen growing bilateral engagement under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with India now being Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trading partner. Modi has visited Saudi Arabia three times, and in 2016, he was awarded the King Abdulaziz Sash, Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian honour.
