If Iran-Pakistan oil and (gas) pipeline happens then......it will substantially boost costs savings and and add annual transit fees to North and east......and the Pak Saudi Defense pact.....The nuclear umbrella is not for free.
The trick here is to use this recent pivot and leverage it go beyond subsistence existence! Think out of box and there are endless possibilities.
But out of the above, the Pak Saudi Defense pact is reality and the Nuclear umbrella too and definitely does not come without a cost and my bet is that here lies the source of funding for many a projects of high national importance. At least, one JFT squadron will be added at home in place of the one seconded to KSA.
The greatest strategic advantage of the MDP for Pakistan is that it enables the country to expand its effective military capacity without proportionally increasing the financial burden of acquiring, maintaining, and sustaining those assets at home.
At present, there are around 18 JF-17s stationed in Saudi Arabia. Over time, that number could potentially increase to 30–40 PAF aircraft. Beyond combat aviation, the partnership could eventually encompass integrated air defense systems, AEW&C aircraft, MLRS, armored formations, and other high-value military capabilities.
In practical terms, this allows Pakistan to increase its available military capital while sharing the costs of procurement, maintenance, infrastructure, and training with a strategic partner. This is particularly valuable for a country facing persistent fiscal constraints, as it improves force availability without requiring a proportional increase in the domestic defense budget.
Another important benefit is strategic depth. By dispersing a portion of its military assets overseas, Pakistan reduces the concentration of critical capabilities within its own territory. In the event of a prolonged conflict with India, if domestically based assets become overstretched, some overseas-deployed platforms could, in principle, be redeployed to reinforce operational requirements. Naturally, this would depend on the political circumstances at the time and the provisions of any bilateral defense agreement. Nevertheless, maintaining part of the force outside Pakistan provides additional strategic flexibility that would otherwise not exist.
The next logical step is to expand this cooperation beyond operational deployments and into defense industrial integration. Pakistan should encourage organizations such as HIT, PAC, KSEW, GIDS, and other defense manufacturers to establish production, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities in Saudi Arabia. This would create geographically distributed production capacity that enhances supply-chain resilience and wartime sustainability for both countries.
Reciprocally, Saudi Arabia should be encouraged to invest in strategic petroleum reserves, downstream industries, and selected defense manufacturing facilities in Pakistan. Such cross-investments would strengthen the resilience of both economies and defense sectors against regional instability, supply-chain disruptions, or potential blockades.
Pakistan should also avoid viewing the partnership solely through the lens of attracting Saudi investment into existing Pakistani products. A more ambitious approach would be to pursue genuine joint ventures, combining Pakistan's defense engineering expertise with Saudi companies' significantly greater access to global capital, advanced technologies, research institutions, and international supply chains. This model would accelerate technology transfer, improve manufacturing capabilities, and create products that are competitive in third-country markets.
As this ecosystem matures, the relationship would evolve beyond a traditional buyer-seller arrangement into a deeply integrated strategic-industrial partnership. Such interdependence would not only strengthen the defense capabilities of both countries but would also make Pakistan a more attractive destination for investment from other Gulf states and international defense companies seeking to participate in a resilient regional industrial base.
