What impact will the defense agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have on India?

September 22, 2025

Abhishek Vij

US President Donald Trump’s ever-changing trade policies have begun to create fluctuations in global diplomatic relations. Trump was angered when India, Russia, and China were seen shaking hands at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit due to the uncertainty surrounding US tariff policies. Meanwhile, the defense agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia appears to be a cause for concern for India.

When India gave Pakistan a tough time during Operation Sindoor, forcing it to declare a ceasefire, and India also hinted at joining forces with Russia and China amid the tariff war, Pakistani diplomats immediately prioritized a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, a concern for India and all of South Asia. According to the agreement, if either Saudi Arabia or Pakistan is attacked or a war arises, it will be considered for both countries. In other words, both countries will fight together. Of course, Pakistan received support from China and Turkey during Operation Sindoor, but now it has become a direct agreement. Indian experts say that we have special cultural and trade ties with Saudi Arabia, and we are the second-largest trading partner with Riyadh and the fifth-largest with Saudi Arabia.

In the fiscal year 2024-25, India’s trade volume was $42 billion, while trade between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is barely $3-4 billion. In such a situation, when every country is looking after its own trade interests, will Saudi Arabia try to come forward on Pakistan’s side if India and Pakistan clash? It is a different matter that India did not attack Pakistan. India targeted Pakistani terrorist bases to avenge the Pahalgam massacre. Saudi Arabia itself is battling terrorism. If such a situation arises again between India and Pakistan in the future, it is unlikely that Saudi Arabia will come forward on Pakistan’s side. The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is an attempt by Pakistan to align itself with Islamic countries. It’s likely that after Saudi Arabia, it will try to further its relations with other Islamic countries, including Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. This is a clever diplomatic maneuver. However, it’s important to remember that these countries are joining forces with Pakistan only to prevent the US from encouraging Israel to invade a country like Pakistan. If this happens, Islamic countries will unite. If this were not the case due to US policies, Pakistan would never have been able to reach such an agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Of course, this doesn’t mean India shouldn’t exercise caution, but the path it has adopted is the same one it has always taken: India has cordial and good trade relations with Islamic countries. We believe that India is the country with the largest population, and a large portion of its workforce works in Islamic or Gulf countries. The question is whether these countries, at Pakistan’s instigation, will adopt the same attitude towards India that Pakistan is hoping for? Many diplomatic agreements are made to exert pressure. Therefore, Pakistan does not need to be too happy because India is far ahead of Pakistan in diplomacy.