Pakistan‑Kuwait defence cooperation formalized

In mid‑July 2026 Pakistan and Kuwait opened early‑stage talks to broaden their defence partnership. Kuwait sought a package that could include thousands of Pakistani troops, fighter jets, drones and air‑defence systems, while Pakistan stressed that the deployment of combat troops was not under consideration. The talks were set against heightened U.S.–Iran tensions following Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, raising concerns that a deeper Saudi‑Pakistan defence pact might draw Pakistan into a wider conflict.

A week later Kuwait’s official gazette issued a decree‑law, Amiri Decree No 73 of 2026, that ratified and activated the defence cooperation agreement originally signed on 11 June 2023. The decree formalised joint military education, training, personnel exchanges, logistical support, scientific‑technological research and intelligence sharing. It established a joint military committee, chaired by officials appointed by the two defence ministers, to meet annually and oversee a 12‑point cooperation plan covering exercises, technology development and logistics.

The newly‑activated pact runs for five years with automatic renewal unless terminated by either side and contains no mutual‑defence clause, distinguishing it from Pakistan’s separate strategic arrangement with Saudi Arabia. Financial arrangements for official visits, strict safeguards for classified information that survive the term, and a dispute‑resolution mechanism based on direct consultations were also retained. Both governments said the agreement would strengthen their security partnership amid Gulf states’ broader effort to diversify security ties, without affecting existing international obligations.