RYADH, 17 April. - (ANA) - Riyadh is cementing its alliance with Islamabad, sending financial aid to Pakistan and receiving military assistance from its Asian ally. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah yesterday and spoke of Islamabad’s “unwavering solidarity” with the kingdom. Last week, Pakistan sent fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to bolster its defenses against Iranian attacks, even as Islamabad was trying to mediate a US-Iran peace deal.

 

The defense ties go back decades. Riyadh helped fund Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program in the 1970s; last year they signed a mutual defense pact. Saudi has supplied financial aid too, providing $3 billion to Islamabad this week just as a $3.5 billion loan from the UAE is up for repayment. In the past, Gulf loans to Pakistan were frequently rolled over when they matured, but Pakistan’s relations with Abu Dhabi are not as close these days: In January, the UAE signed a letter of intent for a strategic defense partnership with Pakistan’s main rival India.

 

Sharif went on to Qatar today and is due in Türkiye after that, as Pakistan continues in its new-found role of chief regional diplomat. Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was also in Tehran yesterday to push for a second round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad, but no date has been set.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/17 April 2026 - - -