DG ISPR Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry says Pakistani forces have served in Saudi Arabia for decades across multiple capabilities and domains.

By Anwar Zeb Khan:

Pakistan has confirmed that its military personnel are already present in Saudi Arabia, with Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry saying Pakistani troops have been serving in the Kingdom for decades across multiple capabilities and domains.

Speaking to CNN correspondent Ivan Watson, Lt. Gen. Chaudhry was asked whether Pakistani troops or other military personnel were already on the ground in Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Defence Alliance.

“I can confirm that we, the forces of Pakistan, are already there,” he said.

When asked specifically whether Pakistani troops had been present in Saudi Arabia as part of the alliance, he said: “Pakistani troops have been there for decades, in multiple capabilities. They have been there for decades in Saudi Arabia.”

Lt. Gen. Chaudhry said the Makkah Defence Alliance was not an arrangement that had emerged suddenly. He described it as the result of sustained diplomatic, political, military and people-to-people relations between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

“So I can share with you that the Pakistani forces, in multiple capabilities and domains, are already there,” he said.

His comments came days after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye held an emergency meeting of the Strategic-Political and Defence Committee of the Makkah Alliance in Riyadh on Oct. 5.

According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the three countries agreed to move toward the practical implementation of their collective defence commitments and take measures to provide agreed military forces and capabilities for rapid deployment in Saudi Arabia, subject to approved arrangements and national laws.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on Aug. 7, 2026. The agreement provides for collective defence commitments among the three countries.

The latest confirmation does not specify the number of Pakistani personnel currently in Saudi Arabia, their precise capabilities or whether additional troops will be deployed. CNN reported that Lt. Gen. Chaudhry did not provide operational details, saying such information remained classified.

Pakistan’s military presence in Saudi Arabia therefore predates the newly established trilateral defence framework, while the recent agreement provides a broader mechanism for cooperation among the three countries.