Why is Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif visiting Saudi Arabia amid Gulf tensions?

Published 6 August 2026 · politics

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia for a two-day visit, which comes “against the backdrop of

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia for a two-day visit, which comes “against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Gulf”, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “This visit is taking place against the backdrop of the short-term effects of the regional situation, while it will further expand strategic cooperation, bilateral relations, and coordination and collaboration between the two countries on regional and international affairs,” Sharif’s office said in another statement on Thursday as he boarded the plane to Riyadh. Sharif is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, army chief Asim Munir, and other cabinet members. During his third visit to Saudi Arabia this year, the Pakistani leader will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, “in which the longstanding brotherly relations and partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will be further strengthened, and the regional situation will be discussed”, Sharif’s office said. The visit comes a week after Pakistan joined a new Saudi-led Red Sea naval coalition, aimed at securing the waters from attacks on shipping by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. It also comes amid a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, and talks of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan is one of the main mediators between the two warring nations. Al Jazeera looks at what Sharif’s visit means for Pakistan-Saudi relations, and its significance amid regional tensions. What does Pakistan hope to secure?

Sharif, who has visited Saudi Arabia several times since assuming power in 2024, has consistently stressed the importance of ties with Riyadh. The two countries signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) in September 2025. The latest visit appears to have two objectives: economic support and strategic coordination. “Pakistan is struggling economically and wants Saudi Arabia to increase financing and also approve the deferred oil facility requested by Pakistan,” Umer Karim, associate fellow at King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), told Al Jazeera. In return, he said, Islamabad is likely to reaffirm its defence commitments to the kingdom. The visit also reflects Pakistan’s effort to balance multiple strategic priorities. “Pakistan is balancing several competing strategic roles,” said Muhammad Faisal, a doctoral candidate researching Pakistan’s foreign policy at the University of Technology Sydney. He pointed to Islamabad’s position as Riyadh’s closest security partner, a mediator between Washington and Tehran, and a country exposed to instability in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. Army chief Munir’s presence in the delegation, he added, underscored the visit’s security dimension. What is on the agenda? Three issues dominate the visit: trade, defence and maritime security. The SMDA, signed in Riyadh, commits each country to treat an attack on the other as an attack on itself. Pakistan has already acted under the agreement, sending jets to a Saudi airbase, a move confirmed in April when Islamabad was hosting US-Iran ceasefire talks.