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Pakistan Confirms Troops Already Deployed in Saudi Arabia

By GlobalDeskNews Staff | Updated October 8, 2026

Quick Answer: Pakistan's military spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has confirmed Pakistani forces are already stationed in Saudi Arabia across "multiple capabilities and domains." In an exclusive CNN interview, he called Islamabad's commitment to Riyadh's security "absolute" — the first on-the-record confirmation of the deployment as the Makkah defence pact turns operational.
Portrait of Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Pakistan's military spokesman

Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations, confirmed in a CNN interview that Pakistani forces are already stationed in Saudi Arabia. Image: ISPR, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Pakistan has publicly confirmed what regional analysts long suspected: its forces are already on Saudi soil. In an exclusive interview with CNN on Wednesday, the army's chief spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said: "The forces of Pakistan are already there. That I can share with you." He declined to give numbers or capabilities, saying those details were classified.

The confirmation lands at a dangerous moment. Houthi missiles struck two Saudi international airports in two days — killing three people and wounding 36 — while the Saudi-led coalition pounded targets across Yemen in retaliation. A nuclear-armed Muslim-majority state now stands openly committed to the kingdom's defence.

Pakistan troops in Saudi Arabia: what the confirmation means

"Pakistani troops have been there for decades," he said, across "multiple capabilities and domains" — military trainers, advisers and support staff rooted in the two countries' long strategic partnership, in which Riyadh has repeatedly bailed Pakistan out financially during economic crises.

What is new is the framework. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed August 7, 2026, commits each member to treat an armed attack on one as an attack on all — NATO-style collective defence language. Chaudhry said the pact "has not emerged in a vacuum," pointing to decades of diplomatic, political, military and people-to-people ties. Pakistan's commitment to Saudi Arabia's security, he said, was "absolute" — a message aimed as much at Tehran as at Sanaa: "Anyone having some funny ideas against another will hopefully think twice, thrice, or multiple times before doing that."

Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 fighter jet in flight during training

A Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 flies during training. Saudi Arabia has leaned on regional partners for military support as Houthi attacks on the kingdom intensify. Image: U.S. Air Force/Sgt. Erica Knight, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

"Defensive in nature": what Islamabad would — and wouldn't — say

Pressed on the question everyone wants answered — would Pakistani troops cross the border into Yemen? — the spokesman wouldn't be drawn. "Whenever there is a military conflict, no participating country starts disclosing how and where it is going to employ its forces," he said, adding that any involvement would be "defensive in nature."

The caution has domestic roots too. In 2015, Pakistan's parliament voted against sending troops to assist Saudi Arabia against the Houthis — a decision that bruised Riyadh at the time. Chaudhry said Pakistan still wants a negotiated end to the US-Iran conflict, calling for a "negotiated, peaceful outcome."

Why the announcement lands now

The timing is no accident. On Wednesday, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing a Sudanese resident and wounding eight others — a day after a strike on Abha International Airport killed two women (one Moroccan, one Algerian) and wounded 28. The coalition answered with strikes on 82 Houthi targets across Yemen, and the US Mission in Saudi Arabia has warned Americans the conflict "has the potential to escalate."

Aerial view of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh — struck by a Houthi ballistic missile this week. Image: Vanquish0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Why it matters

For Riyadh, the confirmation is a message of resolve: the kingdom is no longer standing alone against Iranian-backed missiles. For Pakistan, it is the riskiest foreign-policy bet in years — a nuclear power publicly binding itself to the defence of a monarchy that is now an active combatant against Tehran's proxies, even as Islamabad tries to mediate peace between Iran and the United States.

What happens next

Three things will decide where this goes. First, whether the Monday agreement produces visible, large-scale Pakistani and Turkish deployments — or whether the existing presence is quietly reinforced without fanfare. Second, how Iran reads the announcement: as deterrence, which Islamabad intends, or as provocation. And third, whether Houthi attacks on Saudi territory continue — each missile that lands on a civilian airport raises the pressure for the alliance to move from defence to retaliation.

Key Takeaways

  • Pakistan's military spokesman confirmed Pakistani forces are already stationed in Saudi Arabia across "multiple capabilities and domains."
  • The troops have been there for decades — the announcement formalises a longstanding presence under the Makkah pact's collective-defence clause.
  • Numbers are classified; Chaudhry would not say whether Pakistani forces would operate inside Yemen, calling any role "defensive in nature."
  • The confirmation follows two days of Houthi airport strikes that killed three people and wounded 36.
  • Pakistan is walking a tightrope: backing Saudi Arabia while mediating between Iran and the US, with parliament's 2015 Yemen refusal as precedent.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly did Pakistan's military spokesman say?

In a CNN interview on Wednesday, army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said: "The forces of Pakistan are already there. That I can share with you." He said Pakistani troops have been in Saudi Arabia for decades across "multiple capabilities and domains," and called Islamabad's commitment to Riyadh's security "absolute."

How many Pakistani troops are in Saudi Arabia?

That stays undisclosed. Chaudhry said personnel numbers and specific capabilities were classified. What is known: Pakistan has kept trainers, advisers and support staff in the kingdom for decades, and the Makkah pact's emergency meeting this week agreed on rapid deployment of additional forces.

Will Pakistani troops fight the Houthis in Yemen?

Islamabad won't say. Asked whether Pakistani forces would operate across the Yemeni border, Chaudhry declined to answer — no country discloses how it would employ its forces, he said — though any involvement would be "defensive in nature." Parliament notably voted in 2015 against sending troops to aid Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.

What is the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement?

A collective-defence pact signed on August 7, 2026, by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, committing each member to treat an armed attack on one as an attack on all — language modelled on NATO's Article 5. At a Riyadh emergency meeting on Monday, the three agreed to immediately implement the commitments, including rapid troop deployment.

Why is this a difficult position for Pakistan?

Pakistan borders Iran — the Houthis' main backer — and has been mediating between Tehran and Washington during the US-Iran war. Openly joining the Saudi camp risks that mediation role and could provoke Tehran. At home, parliament's 2015 refusal to join the Yemen fight set a precedent the army must now navigate.

What happens next?

Watch for visible Pakistani and Turkish deployments under this week's agreement, Iran's reaction to the deterrence messaging, and whether Houthi missile attacks on Saudi airports continue. Each strike on civilian infrastructure raises pressure for the alliance to shift from defence to retaliation.

Sources

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