Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Pact By Agha Zuhaib Khan

From Military Alliance to Strategic Economic Partnership

Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Pact By Agha Zuhaib Khan. On September 17, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia formalized their long-standing military ties by signing a mutual defence agreement. While this pact strengthens their security relationship, its true potential lies in expanding cooperation across sectors like agriculture, energy, labour, industry, and infrastructure. Encouragingly, 2025 marks a shift from traditional financial aid to forward-looking strategic investments.

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia approved a $1.2 billion deferred oil payment facility, disbursing $100 million per month until February 2026. Pakistan, meanwhile, is negotiating the extension of $5 billion in Saudi loans—$2 billion maturing in December 2025 and another $3 billion due by mid-2026—at a concessional 4% interest rate.

This month, a Saudi delegation is expected to explore potential investment opportunities in key sectors such as energy, information technology, agriculture, finance, semiconductors, and food, signaling growing economic synergy.

Thanks to Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council, trade processes have improved significantly, leading to a 22% increase in Pakistani exports to Saudi Arabia, now exceeding $700 million. Analysts believe this signifies the transition from a donor-recipient relationship to one of mutual investment, aligned with Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030.

Narrow Trade Base and Missed Opportunities

However, Pakistan’s long-term stability won’t come from defence cooperation alone. It must become an integral part of the Gulf’s broader economic transformation.

Currently, Saudi Arabia is among Pakistan’s leading trade partners, with annual trade volumes ranging from $5 billion to $6 billion, heavily influenced by oil prices. Yet, the trade mix is narrow—Pakistan imports mostly oil, while its exports are limited to rice, textiles, leather, and surgical tools. There’s untapped potential in sectors like pharmaceuticals, IT services, and processed agricultural products. Still, poor planning, low productivity, and the lack of preferential trade agreements hamper growth.

Saudi sovereign wealth funds are actively investing in infrastructure, mining, and tech globally, but Pakistan has attracted only a fraction of this capital. Projects like the $10 billion refinery announced in 2019 have seen repeated delays due to political instability and regulatory challenges. While Pakistan claims to have addressed many legal and administrative barriers, ongoing political uncertainty and rights issues remain hurdles. A more stable and unified domestic front is critical to unlocking investment. Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Pact By Agha Zuhaib Khan

Agriculture, Energy, and Labour: The Pillars of Partnership

Agriculture is one sector ripe for transformation. If Pakistan adopts modern farming techniques—improved seeds, efficient irrigation, and cold-chain logistics—it could play a pivotal role in securing Saudi Arabia’s food supply. Gulf investment in Pakistani agriculture could also uplift rural economies and generate employment.

Energy cooperation is another major opportunity. As Saudi Arabia invests in renewable energy, hydrogen, and smart city infrastructure under Vision 2030, Pakistan continues to grapple with energy shortages, rising fossil fuel costs, and circular debt. This presents a clear synergy: Saudi Arabia needs green energy partners; Pakistan needs affordable, clean energy. With vast potential in solar and wind power, Pakistan could attract Saudi capital, especially through Islamic green bonds. Yet, concrete renewable energy collaborations have yet to materialize.

Remittances from Saudi Arabia remain vital, with Pakistani workers sending home over $9.3 billion in FY2025. However, most of the 2.5 million Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia hold low-skilled jobs. As the Kingdom transitions toward high-tech and knowledge-based industries, unskilled labour will no longer suffice. To remain relevant, Pakistan must invest in re-skilling its workforce. Establishing vocational and digital training centres could prepare Pakistanis for high-demand fields like healthcare, IT, and engineering, boosting both remittance value and Saudi productivity.

Beyond Defence: Building a Shared Future

Religious ties between the nations are deep, with hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis performing Hajj and Umrah annually. Yet, beyond religious tourism, cultural exchange remains minimal. As Saudi Arabia opens its cultural and tourism sectors, there’s an opportunity for both countries to launch joint tourism initiatives, cultural events, and academic partnerships to strengthen people-to-people bonds.

Importantly, Pakistan must not limit its vision to Saudi Arabia alone. The broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—comprising the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman—represents a $2 trillion economy with vast sovereign wealth and dynamic energy transition strategies. Pakistan’s trade with the GCC is still heavily tilted toward oil imports and labour exports, but enormous potential exists in IT, renewable energy, engineering, and food processing.

Saudi Vision 2030, the UAE’s economic diversification plans, and Qatar’s knowledge-sector investments all highlight a regional demand for strategic partners. Pakistan, with its young population and growing tech capabilities, is well-positioned to meet this demand—provided it ensures policy stability and a clear regulatory framework.

Moreover, the Gulf region faces growing food security challenges. Pakistan could become a reliable source of food if it reforms its agricultural sector. Joint GCC-Pakistan food corridors, underpinned by Gulf infrastructure investments, could yield mutual benefits while helping Pakistan reduce its economic reliance on aid.

In this context, the defence agreement signed in September should be seen as more than a military milestone. It signals the beginning of a broader, strategic partnership. Pakistan’s real security lies not just in arms, but in embedding itself within the Gulf’s evolving economic landscape. Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Pact By Agha Zuhaib Khan