Between Washington and Islamabad: Saudi Arabia’s Double Nuclear Hedge

Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of civilian nuclear cooperation with the United States while simultaneously deepening its strategic partnership with Pakistan reflects a broader shift in Gulf security, where regional states are diversifying their alliances instead of relying on a single external guarantor.

Washington’s Conditional Nuclear Offer

Pakistan: Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Hedge

However, this does not leave Saudi Arabia in any isolation or insecurity. The Kingdom already has a strong strategic nuclear option that is not dependent on Washington, and that is Pakistan. Under the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA), signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025, an attack on one country is to be treated as an attack on both. Soon after this agreement, Khawaja Asif, the Defense Minister of Pakistan, publicly stated that the country’s nuclear arsenal “will be made available” to Riyadh under this agreement if the need ever arose, a statement widely interpreted as a message aimed at the Zionist regime. This demonstrates that Saudi Arabia is not entirely dependent on........

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