Pakistan air force chief meets Saudi military leadership, discusses ways to expand military ties

Pakistan's air chief met Saudi Arabia's top air force commander and discussed opportunities to expand military cooperation between the two longtime allies, the military said here on Thursday.

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, this week visited the Gulf Kingdom, where he met Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force Lt Gen Turki bin Bander bin Abdulaziz and Chief of the General Staff General Fayiadh bin Hameed Al-Rowaily.

According to a statement by the Pakistan military on Thursday, bilateral cooperation, regional security dynamics and future defence collaboration were discussed during the meetings.

It said that the Saudi defence leadership praised the robust bond of fraternity between the two brotherly nations and commended the close, enduring cooperation that exists between their respective Air Forces.

"Acknowledging the growing significance of Multi Domain Operations in addressing the complexities of modern warfare, the military leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conveyed strong interest in leveraging Pakistan Air Force's rich operational experience through enhanced joint training and operational collaboration," the statement said.

"They also appreciated Pakistan's constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability," it added.

"Both sides expressed satisfaction over the existing level of cooperation and agreed to further enhance engagement through joint training, operational collaboration and exchange of professional expertise," the statement said.

Sidhu highlighted the historic, time-tested and fraternal relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, founded on shared religious values, mutual respect and strategic alignment.

He reiterated his unwavering commitment to enhancing existing ties in the realm of military-to-military cooperation through bilateral and multilateral exercises. He underscored the profound transformation of the PAF in recent years, with particular emphasis on its evolution into a robust Multi-Domain Force.

Sidhu emphasised that this enhanced capability, seamlessly integrating space, electronic warfare, cyber, niche technologies and artificial intelligence domains, was decisively manifested during the May conflict in 2025, reflecting PAF's operational prowess, adaptability and combat effectiveness, the statement said.

It further said that his visit "underscores the depth of the enduring strategic partnership between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and reflects the shared commitment of both nations to further strengthen cooperation in the defence and aviation sectors".

The Defence Agreement between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was highlighted as a powerful affirmation of mutual trust, strategic alignment and enduring brotherly ties, it said.

Both sides agreed to broaden the horizon of collaboration by exploring new avenues of defence cooperation, it added.

In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a ''strategic mutual defence'' agreement, which declared that any attack on either country would be considered ''an aggression against both''.

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