India on Thursday said it will closely examine the implications of the newly signed Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan for its national security, as well as for regional and global stability.

The pact, signed in Riyadh on Wednesday by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, formalises a decades-long security partnership between the two nations. It commits both sides to treat any aggression against one as an attack on the other, with the stated aim of strengthening joint deterrence against external threats.

In a statement issued by the ministry of external affairs, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated:” We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Government was aware that this development, which formalises a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration. We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability. The Government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains.”

The pact comes at a time of heightened regional tensions following Israel’s airstrikes on Doha last week, which Arab nations have condemned.

Gulf states, long reliant on Washington as their security guarantor, have been recalibrating ties with multiple players including Iran, Israel, and now, through this agreement, with Pakistan.

A senior Saudi official told Reuters: “This agreement is a culmination of years of discussions. This is not a response to specific countries or specific events but an institutionalization of longstanding and deep cooperation between our two countries.”

The pact comes at a time when India-Pakistan relations have sharply deteriorated in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and New Delhi’s counterstrike, Operation Sindoor.

The official added that Riyadh remained mindful of its growing ties with New Delhi: “Our relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been. We will continue to grow this relationship and seek to contribute to regional peace whichever way we can.”

Pakistani state media showed Sharif and Prince Mohammed embracing after the signing, with Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in attendance.

A statement from the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office called the pact a “shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world.”

The agreement aims to expand defence cooperation and reinforce joint deterrence, while reaffirming what both sides called a “historic relationship” grounded in faith, solidarity, and strategic interests, according to Geo News and Dawn.

Sharif’s visit to Riyadh—his third trip to the Gulf in a week—follows stops in Qatar, where he attended an emergency meeting of Arab-Islamic nations after Israel’s strikes in Doha targeting Hamas leaders.