Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a sweeping defence pact, marking a significant deepening of military co-operation between the two long-time partners. The agreement adds a new layer to the Gulf’s recalibrating security architecture.
It commits the two nations to treat any act of aggression against one as aggression against both. It also covers joint deterrence, intelligence sharing and military training, effectively formalising a relationship that has existed for decades. The kingdom has long maintained close economic, religious and security ties with Pakistan.
The move comes amid heightened regional tensions. Last week, Israel attacked members of the Hamas leadership in the Qatari capital Doha, an attack that raised questions about US security guarantees in the region, as one ally struck another.
While US President Donald Trump said he was not informed of the attack beforehand, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Qatar raid as a “wholly independent decision by Israel”, the episode demonstrated Washington’s limited ability, or willingness, to prevent Israeli action against a key regional partner.
Analysts say the pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan highlights the kingdom's drive to strengthen its security posture beyond its traditional dependence on the US. It is both a signal of intent and a hedge – a way for Saudi Arabia to diversify its security partnerships.
“It’s less about breaking with the US and more about Riyadh signalling deep frustration with the US after Israel’s attack on Qatar, a fellow GCC country,” Firas Maksad, managing director for Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group, wrote in a post on X, referring to the Gulf Co-operation Council.
“[Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] is telling Washington: we’re diversifying our options. But Saudi Arabia still is and will remain dependent on the US for security. This is hedging, not decoupling. Deepening defence ties to Europe is also a possibility.”
The US has deep-rooted security commitments in the Gulf, with tens of thousands of troops and advanced military assets that can surge rapidly to address emerging contingencies. But Riyadh and other Gulf states have sought in recent years to diversify their defence partnerships, and this pact underscores that strategy.
While the US remains a vital ally, Gulf countries are looking to reduce reliance on any single power and strengthen their strategic autonomy.
This includes acquisitions such as Turkish and Chinese UAVs, South Korean surface-to-air missiles, and, in the UAE’s case, Chinese L-15 trainer jets and Russia’s Pantsir point-defence system. Qatar has strengthened defence ties with Turkey, focusing on joint exercises and agreements on military technology.
Qatar was attacked twice this year. During the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June, Tehran struck Al Udeid Air Base in retaliation for US air strikes on its underground nuclear sites. The base hosts American military personnel.
The incidents have amplified Gulf security worries. The same happened in 2019, when Iran was blamed for the Aramco attack in Saudi Arabia. The issue resurfaced this year when the US joined Israel in its conflict with Iran, despite Gulf states pushing for a diplomatic resolution.
Implications for Iran
The Saudi-Pakistan defence pact aligns two of Iran’s largest neighbours in a defensive alliance, raising the possibility that Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent could extend over Saudi Arabia.
A Saudi official told Reuters that “this is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means” when asked whether Pakistan would be obliged to provide a nuclear umbrella under the pact. Observers say this development could be a source of concern for Tehran.
Saudi Arabia has sought US assistance to advance a civilian nuclear power programme, which was reportedly tied in part to a proposed diplomatic recognition deal with Israel before the 2023 Hamas attack. Prince Mohammed had previously said the kingdom would pursue nuclear weapons if Iran developed them.
There has been intensified Saudi-Iranian engagement over the last few days. Prince Mohammed held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday on the sidelines of the emergency Arab-Islamic summit that took place in Doha in response to Israel’s attack on Qatar. The following day the Saudi Crown Prince received Iran’s top security chief Ali Larijani in Riyadh.
Later, Mr Larijani met the Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. In April, Prince Khalid met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the Iranian capital and delivered a letter from King Salman. The message warned, according to reports, that Israel was seeking a pretext for escalation and urged Iran to engage with Washington over its nuclear programme. In June, Israel struck Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Pakistan remains the only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority nation and commands the Islamic world’s largest army, which it has repeatedly said is focused on deterring its arch-rival India. The two neighbours engaged in a direct military confrontation in May.
India's ministry of external affairs spokesman, Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X on Thursday that India was aware of the development, adding it would study its implications for New Delhi’s security and for regional stability.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The biog
Fast facts on Neil Armstrong’s personal life:
- Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio
- He earned his private pilot’s license when he was 16 – he could fly before he could drive
- There was tragedy in his married life: Neil and Janet Armstrong’s daughter Karen died at the age of two in 1962 after suffering a brain tumour. She was the couple’s only daughter. Their two sons, Rick and Mark, consulted on the film
- After Armstrong departed Nasa, he bought a farm in the town of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1971 – its airstrip allowed him to tap back into his love of flying
- In 1994, Janet divorced Neil after 38 years of marriage. Two years earlier, Neil met Carol Knight, who became his second wife in 1994
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
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