Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are significantly deepening their military alliance, with top generals from both nations meeting in Riyadh to advance collaboration under their Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement and explore joint ventures in emerging defence technologies, according to a military statement.

The high-level dialogue featured Lieutenant General Syed Aamer Raza, Chief of General Staff (CGS) of the Pakistan Army, and his counterpart, General Fayyadh Bin Hameed Al-Rowaily, Chief of General Staff of the Royal Saudi Armed Forces. An official release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday confirmed the discussions centered on matters of mutual strategic importance.

Both military leaders focused on bolstering bilateral defence partnership and improving interoperability between their armed forces. The commitment to the long-standing fraternal ties between the two nations was reaffirmed, with an emphasis on contributing to regional peace, stability, and self-reliance.

In a parallel development, a Special Meeting of the Pakistan-Saudi Bilateral Defence Industrial Forum also convened in the Saudi capital. The Pakistani tri-services delegation was led by Lieutenant General Raza, while Khalid Al Biyari, the Assistant Minister of Defence for Executive Affairs, headed the Saudi side.

The industrial forum reviewed the progress of ongoing defence projects and identified new opportunities for partnership, particularly in advanced technologies. These future collaborations are intended to align with Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 framework.

During the deliberations, Lieutenant General Raza reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for capacity building within the Royal Saudi Defence Forces. In return, Saudi officials commended Pakistan’s significant achievements and sacrifices in the domain of counter-terrorism and acknowledged its vital contributions to regional security.