February 10, 2014 | Quote

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Forge Stronger Strategic Alliance

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are expected to sign an agreement on security and defence cooperation when the kingdom’s crown prince visits Islamabad this weekend.

The trip comes after a flurry of meetings between defence and military officials from the two countries, part of a concerted effort to strengthen their relationship as the United States recalibrates its approach to the region.

The highest-level public meetings between Riyadh and Islamabad in six years began last month with successive visits to Pakistan by the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud Al Faisal, and the deputy defence minister, Prince Salman bin Sultan. They were followed last week by the first overseas trip by Pakistan’s new army chief, Raheel Sharif.

Prince Salman’s visit in particular was “an indicator that the warming of … security ties is genuine and not just for show, since [he] handles a great deal of the operational heavy lifting at Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry – including major initiatives on Syria, military procurement and regional cooperation”, said David Weinberg, who studies Saudi affairs at the Washington-based Foundation for the Defence of Democracies think tank.

Saudi Arabia has mostly turned to European suppliers and, for missile systems it cannot get from the West, to China, said Mr Weinberg, and even Pakistan’s most advanced defence items, such as the JF-17 fighter jet it co-produces with China, fall far behind.

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Issues:

Pakistan