Islamabad

Pakistan’s Air Chief, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, met with top Saudi military officials this week to explore ways to strengthen defence cooperation between the two longstanding allies.

During his visit to the Kingdom, Sidhu held meetings with Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force, Lt Gen Turki bin Bander bin Abdulaziz, and Chief of the General Staff, Gen Fayiadh bin Hameed Al-Rowaily. According to a statement from the Pakistan military, discussions focused on bilateral collaboration, regional security challenges, and potential future initiatives in defence.

The Saudi leadership lauded the close ties between the two nations and highlighted the strong cooperation between their air forces. They expressed interest in leveraging the operational expertise of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) through enhanced joint exercises, professional exchanges, and operational collaboration. Pakistan’s contributions to regional stability and peace were also acknowledged.

Sidhu underlined the historic and fraternal relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, rooted in shared religious values, mutual respect, and strategic alignment. He emphasized the PAF’s transformation into a capable multi-domain force, integrating space, cyber, electronic warfare, niche technologies, and artificial intelligence. The air chief noted that these capabilities were demonstrated during the May 2025 conflict, reflecting the PAF’s adaptability and operational strength.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the current level of military engagement and agreed to expand cooperation through joint training, operational collaboration, and the exchange of expertise. The visit reaffirmed the depth of strategic partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and highlighted a shared commitment to advancing defence and aviation collaboration.

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The meeting also reinforced the Defence Agreement signed in September, which declares that an attack on either country would be treated as aggression against both, further solidifying mutual trust and strategic alignment.