The extra cash comes just before Islamabad sends a $3.5 billion debt repayment to Saudi Arabia’s friend-turned-rival, the UAE. This isn’t the first time that Saudi Arabia has provided Pakistan, a relatively poor country with a mighty military, with funding. In 2018, Riyadh gave Pakistan a rescue package worth $6 billion as it faced an economic crisis. What’s the benefit to the Saudis? Pakistan provides the Kingdom with security by placing it under its nuclear umbrella. It has also deployed fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, amid Iranian bombing of the Kingdom.
Hard Numbers
Hard Number: Saudi Arabia picks up Pakistan’s tab again
Natalie Johnson
By Zac WeiszApril 15, 2026
Zac Weisz
Zac reports on global affairs, covering everything from elections and international relations, to conflicts in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. With the Trump administration keen to alter the world order, though, there’s a heavy emphasis right now on US politics – an area with which he is intimately familiar. He also reports on the cross-section between sports and geopolitics. Prior to joining GZERO, Zac was a senior national politics correspondent at National Journal, where he covered the 2024 presidential election from its inception to the dramatic finish, as well as major congressional actions during the Biden administration. Prior to journalism, Zac worked as an economic analyst for Oxford Economics, calculating the impact of various tax policies, as well as the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. Born in London, he currently resides in New York City, where you can find him playing football (the original version) or watching it on television while attempting to cook up a storm.
