New Saudi-Pakistan pact signals evolving alliances amid US-China tension, Qatar attack
Riyadh looking to ‘put its eggs in different baskets’ given doubts over US commitment in the region, analysts say
They said China was likely to view such diversified partnerships positively, which could also open new opportunities to expand arms sales, although the security dynamics in the region might become further complicated.
The mutual defence pact signed late on Wednesday significantly strengthens a decades-old security partnership between Riyadh and Islamabad at a time when Gulf Arab states are growing increasingly wary about the reliability of the United States as their long-standing security guarantor.
He said that by signing the pact, Saudi Arabia was looking to “put its eggs in different baskets” and secure protection from Pakistan since it had previously primarily relied on the US for this.