In a world where old alliances often fade before their promises are kept, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have unveiled a new chapter: the Riyadh Pact. Announced with fanfare in Riyadh flags fluttering, cameras flashing, and the Pakistani flag projected across the Kingdom Centre, the agreement has been cast as a landmark in regional security.
For Pakistan, this is not the first time it has stepped into a defence pact with big promises. In 1954, it signed its first mutual defence treaty with the United States, largely in recognition of its cooperation during the Korean War. By 1955, Pakistan had joined both SEATO, often dubbed the “Asian NATO,” and the Baghdad Pact, which later evolved into CENTO. Those alliances were primarily aimed at containing Soviet influence, but their effectiveness faltered. When Pakistan went to war with India in 1965 and again in 1971, its treaty allies offered little more than words.
Now, seventy years later, Pakistan is taking another gamble, this time alongside Saudi Arabia, in what both sides are calling a bold step toward collective defence.
A Different Kind of Threat
Unlike Pakistan’s earlier alliances that targeted the Soviet Union, the Riyadh Pact identifies Israel as the central threat. This framing matters: it shifts the pact from regional rivalries, like Pakistan’s long-standing conflict with India, to a broader external danger. Yet history offers sobering lessons. Even tightly structured alliances have often unraveled under the pressure of political realities. One telling example: in 1964, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson sent Turkey the infamous “Johnson Letter,” warning that NATO would not protect Ankara if the Soviet Union retaliated for a Turkish intervention in Cyprus. The shock reverberated across Ankara and underscored the limits of paper guarantees.
Beyond the Battlefield
Still, the Riyadh Pact offers more than just military posturing. If both nations choose, it could become the foundation for deeper cooperation. Past alliances occasionally left behind unexpected legacies SEATO, for instance, helped establish the Graduate School of Engineering in Thailand and research labs in then-East Pakistan.
Today, Saudi Arabia needs skilled labor as it pursues economic diversification under Vision 2030, while Pakistan faces chronic unemployment at home. A pact that expands into education, technology, and labor mobility could prove far more durable than one focused solely on guns and missiles. Without such breadth, the alliance risks being swept aside by shifting regional winds.
Lessons From the Past
Military unity is often tested not in declarations but in battle. The Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973 demonstrated how disunity among Arab forces left Israel with the upper hand. For Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the true test will be whether they can establish permanent joint commands, integrated standing forces, and perhaps even a supreme allied commander. Without that discipline, the pact may falter when it is needed most.
Opportunity and Test
The Riyadh Pact is both a gamble and a promise. Its symbolism is undeniable: two Muslim powers aligning at a time of uncertainty in the Gulf, when U.S. guarantees feel less reliable and Israeli assertiveness looms large. But symbolism alone will not secure borders.
Whether this pact becomes a durable shield or a ceremonial gesture depends on what comes next. If Pakistan and Saudi Arabia can move beyond photo-ops and build a disciplined, structured, and action-oriented alliance, they may well reshape Gulf security for decades. If not, the Riyadh Pact will join a long list of forgotten treaties that looked powerful on paper but dissolved in the fire of reality.
