Pakistan, Saudi Arabia vow to further enhance defence ties

• Air chief receives guard of honour by Saudi Air Force: ISPR.
• Military says Air Chief Sidhu highlights historic Pakistan-KSA ties.
• Visit underscores depth of Pakistan-Saudi strategic ties: ISPR.

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to further strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, with a focus on expanding joint training, operational collaboration and the exchange of professional expertise, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.

The resolve came as Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, during his official visit to the kingdom, met Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force Lieutenant General Turki bin Bander bin Abdulaziz and Chief of the General Staff of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia General Fayiadh bin Hameed Al-Rowaily, as per the ISPR.

Upon his arrival, the air chief was accorded a guard of honour by a contingent of the Royal Saudi Air Force, the military's media wing said.

During the meetings, the two sides discussed matters pertaining to bilateral defence cooperation, the prevailing regional security environment and future avenues of collaboration. 

Both delegations expressed satisfaction over the existing level of cooperation and agreed to further enhance engagement through joint training, operational collaboration and exchange of professional expertise, while highlighting the Pakistan-KSA defence agreement as a symbol of mutual trust and enduring brotherly relations, the ISPR said.

The statement further said that Air Chief Marshal Sidhu highlighted the historic and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and reiterated his commitment to strengthening military-to-military cooperation through bilateral and multilateral exercises.

He also underscored the transformation of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) into a robust multi-domain force, integrating space, cyber, electronic warfare and artificial intelligence capabilities, as demonstrated through its operational performance, the ISPR added.

The Saudi defence leadership praised the professionalism, operational excellence and combat readiness of the PAF, and expressed strong interest in enhanced joint training and operational collaboration, particularly in the domain of multi-domain operations. 

They also appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability, the statement said.

The military's media wing said that the visit underscores the depth of the enduring strategic partnership between Pakistan and the KSA and reflects the shared commitment of both nations to further strengthen cooperation in the defence and aviation sectors.