Pakistan has placed a $1.5 billion weapons and jets deal with Sudan on hold after Saudi Arabia requested its termination and withdrew financing.

According to Pakistani security and diplomatic sources, Riyadh had initially brokered the agreement but later signalled Islamabad should abandon it once Saudi financing was dropped. The development underscores Saudi Arabia’s influence over Pakistan’s defence sales and its wider regional strategy.

The Sudanese conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises over the past three years. It has become a flashpoint for competing foreign interests and threatens to fracture the Red Sea nation, a major gold producer.

Reuters had reported in January that the deal was in its final stages, though financing details were not disclosed at the time. Pakistan’s military had been negotiating several defence sales after its jets and weapons systems gained prominence following clashes with India in May last year.

Saudi Arabia remains one of Pakistan’s closest allies, providing critical loans and financial support to Islamabad’s struggling economy. Their ties deepened last year with the signing of a mutual defence pact, which treats aggression against either country as an attack on both.

One security source confirmed that Saudi Arabia had signalled Pakistan should terminate the Sudan deal after Riyadh dropped the idea of financing it. Neither the Saudi government media office nor Sudan’s armed forces responded to requests for comment, while Pakistan’s military also declined to confirm the existence of the deal.

Western countries are understood to have advised Riyadh to avoid involvement in proxy wars in Africa. Saudi Arabi and the United Arab Emirates have historically backed opposing sides in regional conflicts, including in Sudan.

While both claim to support a diplomatic resolution, Saudi Arabia has aligned itself with Sudan’s army, whereas the UAE has been accused of providing logistical support to the RSF, a charge it denies.

A meeting in Riyadh in March between Sudanese army leaders and Saudi authorities reportedly led to the termination of Saudi financing for the deal. In addition, another $4 billion agreement with the Libyan National Army, reported by Reuters in December, is also in jeopardy.

A second Pakistani security source explained that Saudi Arabia is “revisiting their strategy” in both Sudan and Libya, casting doubt on the future of these defence sales.

Reuters