In meeting with air chief, Saudi defence leadership expresses interest in joint training, operational collaboration

Pakistan‘s air chief has met high-ranking officials of the Saudi air force, the military’s media affairs wing said on Thursday, adding that the two sides agreed to further enhance engagement through joint training, operational collaboration and exchange of professional expertise in the area of defence.

A statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Pakistan Air Force Air (PAF) Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu called on Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force Lieutenant General Turki bin Bander bin Abdulaziz and Chief of the General Staff of Saudi Arabia General Fayiadh bin Hameed Al-Rowaily during a visit to the kingdom.

“During the meetings, matters pertaining to bilateral defence cooperation, regional security environment and future avenues of collaboration were discussed.

“Both sides expressed satisfaction over the existing level of cooperation and agreed to further enhance engagement through joint training, operational collaboration and exchange of professional expertise, while highlighting the Pakistan–KSA Defence Agreement as a symbol of mutual trust and enduring brotherly relations,” the statement added.

It said ACM Sidhu highlighted during the exchanges the “historic and fraternal ties between the two countries and reiterated his commitment to strengthening military-to-military cooperation through bilateral and multilateral exercises”.

He also underscored the transformation of the PAF into a robust multi-domain force, integrating space, cyber, electronic warfare and artificial intelligence capabilities, demonstrated through its operational performance.

For its part, the Saudi defence leadership “praised the professionalism, operational excellence and combat readiness of [the] Pakistan Air Force, and expressed strong interest in enhanced joint training and operational collaboration, particularly in the domain of multi-domain operations”. the ISPR statement said.

“They also appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability,” it added.

It further stated that the ACM’s visit “underscores the depth of the enduring strategic partnership between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and reflects the shared commitment of both nations to further strengthen cooperation in the defence and aviation sectors”.

The visit takes place against the backdrop of reports about talks between the two countries to convert about $2 billion of Saudi loans into a JF-17 fighter jet deal.

A day ago, Reuters reported citing a source that discussions were limited to the provision of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, the light combat aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China and produced in Pakistan.

The report quoted another source as saying that the jets were the primary option among others under discussion.

“The first source said the total deal was worth $4bn, with an additional $2bn to be spent on equipment over and above the loan conversion,” the report further stated.

The development has been reported months after the two nations signed a mutual defence pact last year.