Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for Riyadh on August 7 for a two-day official visit, according to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry. The trip comes amid “rising tensions in the Gulf” and is expected to expand strategic cooperation between the two nations.
Sharif's delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, and other senior officials. He is scheduled to hold talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, focusing on bilateral relations and the regional situation.
This marks Sharif's third visit to Saudi Arabia this year. In September 2025, the two countries signed the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA), pledging to treat an attack on one as an attack on both.
The visit comes just a week after Pakistan joined the Saudi-led Red Sea naval coalition, established on July 30 to protect shipping lanes from Houthi attacks in Yemen. It also follows a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, along with negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts say the visit has two main goals: seeking economic support and strategic coordination. Pakistan, facing financial difficulties, wants Saudi Arabia to boost investment and approve a deferred oil payment package. In return, Islamabad is expected to reaffirm its security commitment to Riyadh.
Pakistan currently balances multiple strategic roles: Saudi Arabia's closest security partner, a mediator between the U.S. and Iran, and a country directly affected by instability in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. The presence of the army chief on the trip underscores the security dimension.
According to Dr. Muhammad Faisal, an expert on Pakistan's foreign policy at the University of Technology Sydney, the defense pact with Saudi Arabia enhances Pakistan's role as a security partner without forcing it to fundamentally change its military posture in the Gulf. However, Umer Karim, a researcher at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, warned that the biggest risk is that Pakistan's mediation role will come under pressure if Iran or its proxies continue to attack Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan shares a 900-kilometer border with Iran and maintains long-standing relations with Tehran, while claiming neutrality in the U.S.-Iran conflict. Strengthening defense ties with Saudi Arabia could make maintaining that balance more difficult. Observers believe Pakistan will continue its “flexible” strategy in the Gulf, avoiding direct commitments that could drag it into conflict, but if Saudi-Iranian competition intensifies, that fragile balance could break.
