Pakistan, Saudi Arabia sign defence pact after Israel’s Qatar strike

Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a defence pact pledging to protect each other against unspecified aggression, in a deal that might raise eyebrows in the US and Israel.

The pact that was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Riyadh on Wednesday came days after Israel's strike inside the Gulf state of Qatar to target Hamas leaders.

"The aggression against either country would be considered an attack against the both," a joint statement issued by both sides said.

No details of the agreement were made public, but Pakistani intelligence officials told dpa on Thursday the agreement would enable Islamabad and Riyadh to cooperate in the fields nuclear technology and delivery systems.

In return, the Saudi government and private companies would invest in Pakistan, the only Muslim nation that has developed nuclear warheads and delivery systems, and which also faces major economic challenges.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, both Sunni Muslim nations, have long maintained close economic and defence relations.

Pakistani soldiers have been training Saudi counterparts for years and Islamabad has deployed troops to secure the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina since 1980.

Analyst believe Washington might take it as a sign of mistrust after being a sole security guarantor for most Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, for decades.

Israel might feel the pact was aimed at it, although both Pakistani and Saudi officials tried to dispel the impression that it was in response to any event, a reference to September 9 Israel's strikes inside Qatar.