Archive · 8 Oct 2026
Pakistan Confirms Troops in Saudi Arabia Amid Houthi Escalation
Pakistan says some of its military personnel are already in Saudi Arabia.
They have been there for many years, but officials did not say how many there are or exactly what each person does.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have also agreed to work more closely on defence.
Their agreement says an attack on one country would be treated as an attack on all three.
Pakistan says the agreement is defensive and is not aimed at any particular country.
The three countries have discussed working together on military capabilities, defence industries and technology.
The announcement comes as fighting involving Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed forces has intensified.
The Houthis have attacked Saudi Arabia, while Saudi-backed Yemeni forces have operated near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Pakistan says its military personnel are already stationed in Saudi Arabia and have been there for decades.
The ISPR says the forces operate across multiple capabilities and domains but did not disclose their number or specific roles.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 in Mecca.
The agreement says an armed attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all three; Pakistan describes it as defensive.
The confirmation comes amid Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and operations by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Who
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye; Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations director general, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed the troop presence.
- What
- Pakistan confirmed that its military personnel are stationed in Saudi Arabia and said their presence predates the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
- When
- The confirmation was reported amid recent regional escalation; the agreement was signed on August 7, with no year specified in the article.
- Where
- Saudi Arabia; the agreement was signed in Mecca.
- Why
- The three countries say they are strengthening collective deterrence and defence cooperation amid regional tensions.
- Troop presence
- Pakistan says its forces have maintained a presence in Saudi Arabia for decades.
- Personnel details
- The number of personnel and their specific current roles were not disclosed.
- Agreement
- The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on August 7 in Mecca.
- Collective defence
- The agreement says an armed attack against one member will be treated as an attack against all three.
- Pakistan's position
- Pakistan says the agreement is defensive and is not directed against any particular country.
- Regional context
- The article reports Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and operations by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Further coordination
- Officials from the three countries have discussed military capabilities, defence-industry ties and joint technology development.