ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia moved to strengthen the bilateral defense partnership on Monday as Saudi Chief of Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili held a series of high-level meetings in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, signaling the two nations’ renewed strategic alignment.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met General Al-Ruwaili to review defense cooperation, counter-terrorism coordination and regional stability, stressing that Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations had been further strengthened through the recent high-level engagement in Riyadh.
The meeting focused on the historic ‘Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement’ signed during the recent visit to Riyadh. Both sides were committed to operationalize it through joint training, military exercises and expanded exchange of expertise in the coming phase.
Shehbaz appreciated Saudi Arabia’s consistent support to Pakistan while reiterating Islamabad’s determination to deepen bilateral defense ties, strengthen security cooperation and maintain a united resolve against terrorism and extremism.
General Al-Ruwaili relayed congratulations from the Saudi leadership and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s strong desire to elevate the existing defense and strategic partnership to new heights, conveying Riyadh’s commitment to strengthening cooperation across multiple domains.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended the meeting where Pakistan reiterated its willingness to expand joint exercises, training programs and exchanges of expertise.
Earlier, at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Field Marshal Asim Munir held detailed talks with General Al-Ruwaili on strengthening longstanding military cooperation, expanding counter-terrorism efforts and deepening security coordination, which both leaders described as pillars of the Pak-Saudi strategic relationship.
General Al-Ruwaili appreciated Pakistan’s cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces in several fields and reaffirmed his commitment to promote the strong bond of defense partnership, after which he laid a wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada and received a guard of honour.
At the Joint Staff Headquarters, General Al-Ruwaili met the Chairman of the Joint Staff Committees, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, to discuss global and regional security developments, explore concrete measures to deepen military engagement and reaffirm the joint commitment to promote strategic defense ties.
General Sahir Shamshad reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to protecting Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity and ensuring the protection of Harmain al-Sharifain, stressing that this pledge constituted a consistent cornerstone of the relationship between the two countries.
During these engagements, both sides reaffirmed the intention to accelerate the implementation of the defense agreement, strengthen institutional coordination and expand military-to-military cooperation, highlighting the depth of the bilateral partnership rooted in decades of cooperation and shared strategic interests.
