Pakistan’s Inter‑Services Public Relations (ISPR) director‑general announced on Tuesday that Pakistani troops have been stationed in Saudi Arabia for "decades" and operate across multiple domains, a statement that comes as the Gulf kingdom grapples with a wave of Houthi missile and drone strikes linked to the Yemen war.
Background to the deployment
The revelation, first reported by Dawn and echoed by CNN and TRT World, marks the first public acknowledgment of a long‑standing Pakistani military footprint on Saudi soil. The ISPR chief, a senior officer who serves as the official voice of the Pakistan Armed Forces, said the presence is part of a historic partnership between Islamabad and Riyadh, rooted in defence, training and logistical cooperation.
Scale and scope of forces
Exact figures for the Pakistani contingent have not been uniformly disclosed. News18 cited a figure of 15,000 troops together with fighter jets deployed under the so‑called Mecca pact, while other outlets such as The Express Tribune and The Nation (Pakistan) refrained from providing numbers, simply noting "multiple capabilities" across land, air and sea. The discrepancy highlights the opacity surrounding the deployment, a point that analysts say fuels debate in Pakistan’s parliament and media.
"Pakistani troops have been present in Saudi Arabia for decades across multiple domains," the ISPR director‑general told reporters.
In addition to ground forces, Pakistan’s air assets are reportedly operating alongside Saudi and Turkish units. Turkish officials, reported by Reuters and Foreign Policy, have dispatched technical and defensive support to Saudi Arabia, indicating a coordinated multinational effort to counter Houthi aggression.
Regional security implications
The Houthi movement, backed by Iran, has intensified its campaign against Saudi infrastructure, striking airports and oil facilities, as documented by The New York Times and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The attacks have prompted Saudi Arabia to invoke the Mecca defence pact, a trilateral agreement signed in early 2024 that obliges member states to provide mutual assistance against external threats.
Pakistani officials, speaking to Firstpost and Tomorrow's Affairs, emphasized that the troops are stationed for defensive purposes and to support Saudi security operations, not to engage directly in combat in Yemen. Nevertheless, Firstpost reported a recent missile strike that damaged a Saudi airbase hosting Pakistani personnel, raising concerns about potential casualties.
Domestically, the disclosure has become Pakistan’s top news story. The ISPR’s announcement has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers who question the cost and strategic rationale of a large overseas deployment, especially as Pakistan faces economic strain and internal security challenges. Pro‑government voices argue that the long‑standing Saudi‑Pakistani alliance, bolstered by billions in Saudi investment and remittances from the Pakistani diaspora, makes the deployment a cornerstone of national security and foreign‑policy strategy.
Analysts note that the presence of both Pakistani and Turkish forces underscores Riyadh’s reliance on external partners to shore up its defences amid a widening proxy conflict in the Red Sea corridor. While the exact operational mandate remains vague, the joint deployment signals a deepening of the Saudi‑Pakistan‑Turkey security triangle, a development that could reshape power dynamics in the Gulf and the broader Middle East.
As the Houthi threat persists, Islamabad is expected to maintain its commitment under the Mecca pact, while keeping the deployment under close parliamentary and public scrutiny. The evolving situation will likely test the durability of Pakistan’s strategic ties with the Gulf and its capacity to balance domestic pressures against regional obligations.
