{"id":2218,"date":"2026-08-06T13:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T13:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2218"},"modified":"2026-08-06T13:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T13:00:08","slug":"why-is-pakistan-pm-shehbaz-sharif-visiting-saudi-arabia-amid-gulf-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2218","title":{"rendered":"Why is Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif visiting Saudi Arabia amid Gulf tensions?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__divider\">\n<div class=\"listen-to-article\"><button class=\"listen-to-article__button\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><title>Listen<\/title>Listen (6 mins)<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__update-reading-list-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"update-reading-list\">\n<p class=\"update-reading-list__button-text\">Save<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div 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href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Why%20is%20Pakistan%20PM%20Shehbaz%20Sharif%20visiting%20Saudi%20Arabia%20amid%20Gulf%20tensions%3F&amp;source=sharethiscom&amp;related=sharethis&amp;via=AJEnglish&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fx8c0d1\"><title>x<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row u-hidden--desktop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Whatsapp\" href=\"\/\/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fx8c0d1\"><title>whatsapp-stroke<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row copylink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Copy link\" href=\"https:\/\/aje.news\/x8c0d1\"><title>copylink<\/title><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"google-preferred-source\"><button class=\"google-preferred-source__button\" aria-label=\"Add Al Jazeera on Google\" data-testid=\"google-preferred-source-button\"><title>google<\/title><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><title>info<\/title><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-featured__media\">\n<figure class=\"article-featured-image\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/April-2026-PMO-1786009337.jpg?resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Pakistan prime minister meeting Saudi crown prince in April 2026\"><\/div><figcaption>Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in April 2026 [Handout\/Pakistan Prime Minister&#8217;s Office]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-info m--t-20 m--desktop-b-30 m--b-mobile-20\">\n<div class=\"byline byline--single-avatar\">\n<div class=\"avatars-container\"><a class=\"avatar\" aria-hidden=\"true\" href=\"\/author\/abid-hussain\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20211006_194151.jpg?resize=96%2C96&amp;quality=80\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-content\">\n<div class=\"contributors-list contributors-list--byline\"><span class=\"contributors-list__by-prefix\">By <\/span><a href=\"\/author\/abid-hussain\">Abid Hussain<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<div class=\"date-simple\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 6 Aug 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">6 Aug 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wysiwyg wysiwyg--all-content\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p><strong>Islamabad, Pakistan \u2013<\/strong> Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia for a two-day visit, which comes \u201cagainst the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Gulf\u201d, Pakistan\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis 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,\u201d Sharif\u2019s office said in another statement on Thursday as he boarded the plane to Riyadh.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"more-on__list\">\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 1 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2025\/9\/18\/watershed-how-saudi-pakistan-defence-pact-reshapes-regions-geopolitics\">\u2018Watershed\u2019: How Saudi-Pakistan defence pact reshapes region\u2019s geopolitics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 2 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2026\/8\/4\/can-pakistan-keep-us-iran-diplomacy-alive-as-mistrust-deepens\">Can Pakistan keep US-Iran diplomacy alive as mistrust deepens?<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 3 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2026\/4\/14\/can-pakistan-juggle-us-iran-mediation-with-saudi-defence-commitments\">Can Pakistan juggle US-Iran mediation with Saudi defence commitments?<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 4 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/30\/why-is-saudi-arabia-forming-a-coalition-to-protect-the-red-sea\">Why is Saudi Arabia forming a coalition to protect the Red Sea?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Sharif is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, army chief Asim Munir, and other cabinet members.<\/p>\n<p>During his third visit to Saudi Arabia this year, the Pakistani leader will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, \u201cin which the longstanding brotherly relations and partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will be further strengthened, and the regional situation will be discussed\u201d, Sharif\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n<p>The visit comes a week after Pakistan joined a new Saudi-led <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/30\/why-is-saudi-arabia-forming-a-coalition-to-protect-the-red-sea\">Red Sea<\/a> naval coalition, aimed at securing the waters\u00a0from attacks on shipping by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.<\/p>\n<p>It also comes amid a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, and talks of reopening the <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/8\/6\/hormuz-deal-close-whats-the-latest-on-each-sides-positions\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a>. Pakistan is one of the <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/8\/4\/can-pakistan-keep-us-iran-diplomacy-alive-as-mistrust-deepens\">main mediators<\/a> between the two warring nations.<\/p>\n<p>Al Jazeera looks at what Sharif\u2019s visit means for Pakistan-Saudi relations, and its significance amid regional tensions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"container--ads in-article-ads\">\n<div class=\"ads\"><span class=\"ads__title\"> Advertisement <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"what-does-pakistan-hope-to-secure\">What does Pakistan hope to secure?<\/h2>\n<p>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 <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/1\/16\/saudi-to-sudan-can-pakistan-expand-military-footprint-across-arab-world\">Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement<\/a> (SMDA) in September 2025.<\/p>\n<p>The latest visit appears to have two objectives: economic support and strategic coordination.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPakistan is struggling economically and wants Saudi Arabia to increase financing and also approve the deferred oil facility requested by Pakistan,\u201d Umer Karim, associate fellow at King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p>In return, he said, Islamabad is likely to reaffirm its defence commitments to the kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>The visit also reflects Pakistan\u2019s effort to balance multiple strategic priorities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPakistan is balancing several competing strategic roles,\u201d said Muhammad Faisal, a doctoral candidate researching Pakistan\u2019s foreign policy at the University of Technology Sydney.<\/p>\n<p>He pointed to Islamabad\u2019s position as Riyadh\u2019s closest security partner, a mediator between Washington and Tehran, and a country exposed to instability in the Red Sea and the <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/28\/iran-and-oman-exchange-proposals-to-manage-strait-of-hormuz\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/features\/2026\/4\/23\/india-to-iran-how-two-wars-shaped-the-rise-of-pakistans-asim-munir\">Army chief Munir\u2019s presence<\/a> in the delegation, he added, underscored the visit\u2019s security dimension.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-on-the-agenda\">What is on the agenda?<\/h2>\n<p>Three issues dominate the visit: trade, defence and maritime security.<\/p>\n<p>The SMDA, signed in Riyadh, commits each country to treat <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/1\/16\/saudi-to-sudan-can-pakistan-expand-military-footprint-across-arab-world\">an attack<\/a> on the other as an attack on itself.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan has already acted under the agreement, <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/4\/11\/pakistan-sends-fighter-jets-to-saudi-arabia-amid-fragile-us-iran-ceasefire\">sending jets<\/a> to a Saudi airbase, a move confirmed in April when Islamabad was hosting US-Iran <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/4\/13\/how-the-us-iran-talks-in-islamabad-unfolded\">ceasefire talks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Separately, Pakistan is among the 14 <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/30\/saudi-arabia-announces-maritime-defence-alliance-to-secure-vital-waterways\">founding members<\/a> of a Saudi-led Red Sea coalition announced on July 30 after Yemen\u2019s Houthis declared a blockade and began targeting Saudi-linked shipping. Riyadh will host the coalition\u2019s headquarters.<\/p>\n<p>Faisal said the defence pact has not fundamentally altered Pakistan\u2019s military posture in the Gulf, functioning instead as a mechanism for deterrence and crisis coordination rather than driving new deployments.<\/p>\n<p>Karim offered a more cautious assessment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe pact remains a mix of signalling and deployments,\u201d he told Al Jazeera, adding that Islamabad has sought to avoid appearing directly aligned against Iran while taking a firmer position against nonstate actors such as the Houthis.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-does-the-iran-war-shape-the-visit\">How does the Iran war shape the visit?<\/h2>\n<p>The trip comes more than five months into the conflict that began on February 28, when US-Israeli strikes killed Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/9\/iran-prepares-to-bury-slain-leader-khamenei-after-mass-funeral-ceremonies\">Ayatollah Ali Khamenei<\/a> and targeted the country\u2019s nuclear and military infrastructure.<\/p>\n<div class=\"container--ads in-article-ads\">\n<div class=\"ads\"><span class=\"ads__title\"> Advertisement <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire in April and helped secure a follow-up memorandum of understanding in June. That agreement <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/9\/mediator-pakistan-says-renewed-us-iran-conflict-is-in-no-ones-interest\">collapsed in July<\/a> after Iranian forces struck commercial vessels bypassing its approved shipping route, followed by US strikes across Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Washington subsequently reimposed a naval blockade on Iran, while US President Donald Trump has alternated between threats and renewed talk of a deal, with <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/8\/4\/us-says-deal-on-reopening-hormuz-close-as-iran-oman-hold-positive-talks\">Oman mediating<\/a> discussions over the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/29\/iran-and-oman-swap-proposals-to-manage-strait-of-hormuz-what-we-know\">Houthi blockade<\/a> has opened a second maritime front in the Red Sea, disrupting shipping and pushing oil prices higher.<\/p>\n<p>Against this backdrop, Faisal said, the SMDA \u201cenhances Pakistan\u2019s relevance as a security partner without requiring a permanent shift toward a Gulf-centred military posture\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-does-each-side-stand-to-gain\">What does each side stand to gain?<\/h2>\n<p>For Saudi Arabia, the visit offers an opportunity to reinforce ties with a trusted security partner as confidence in long-term US protection appears less certain. It also strengthens Pakistan\u2019s role in the new <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/30\/saudi-arabia-announces-maritime-defence-alliance-to-secure-vital-waterways\">maritime coalition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For Islamabad, closer ties with Riyadh could bring additional <a href=\"\/news\/2022\/5\/1\/pakistan-saudi-arabia-to-discuss-extending-term-of-3bn-deposit\">financial support<\/a> and reinforce its credentials as a regional security actor at a time when its economy remains under pressure.<\/p>\n<p>The challenge lies in balancing competing relationships.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan shares a 900km (559-mile) border with Iran, has longstanding ties with Tehran and continues to present itself as a <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/3\/7\/caught-between-iran-and-saudi-arabia-can-pakistan-stay-neutral-for-long\">neutral mediator<\/a> between Iran and the US.<\/p>\n<p>Deeper defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia could make that balancing act increasingly difficult.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe biggest risk is that the current balancing act of Pakistan as a mediator and security provider to Saudi Arabia will come under strain if Iran and its proxies continue attacking Saudi Arabia,\u201d Karim told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p>Faisal said Pakistan has traditionally maintained \u201cstrategic flexibility\u201d in the Gulf, avoiding commitments that would draw it directly into regional conflicts while preserving relations with both Riyadh and Tehran.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA sharper Saudi-Iran rivalry would gradually erode this carefully calibrated balancing strategy, forcing Pakistan into difficult trade-offs between preserving key security partnerships and maintaining broader regional stability,\u201d Faisal said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ListenListen (6 mins) Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylink googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in April 2026 [Handout\/Pakistan Prime Minister&#8217;s Office] By Abid Hussain Published On 6 Aug 20266 Aug 2026 Islamabad, Pakistan \u2013 Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why is Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif visiting Saudi Arabia amid Gulf tensions? 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