Saudi King Salman Receives Pak Military Delegation, Discuss Enhancing Military Ties

DESPARDES — Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received in Riyadh today Pakistan’s Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee headed by General Nadeem Raza and his accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, they reviewed close relations between the two countries and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, specially in military fields.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a defense pact since the 80s for safeguarding the territorial integrity of the kingdom.

According to several observers, there’s definitely room for growth between the two countries as their relationship has been beyond transactionalism.

“The kingdom seeks localization of military defense industry and so do Pakistan, which has been looking for export in the region. Also, Pakistan seeks to proactively take up religious tourism, interfaith harmony which Saudi also does, besides, Pakistan wants to mainstream the madrassas.”

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The high-level meeting was attended by Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz; Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Minister of Defense; Assistant Special Secretary to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Tamim bin Abdulaziz Al-Salem, and Saudi Military Attaché of the Kingdom to Pakistan, Air Commander Awadh Alzahrani.

On the Pakistani side, says the Consulate’s Press Attache in Jeddah, the meet was attended by Director General Logistics and Joint Chief of Staff Maj. Gen Tahir Sarfaraz, Ambassador of Pakistan to the Kingdom Raja Ali Ejaz and Pakistan’s Defense Attache to Riyadh Brig. Gen. Haroon Ishaq Raja.