Pakistan Halts $1.5bln Sudan Arms Deal Following Saudi Request

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Reuters

20 Apr 2026 21:44

Saudi Arabia has signaled to Islamabad the need to cancel the deal after abandoning plans to finance it.

Pakistan has canceled a $1.5 billion agreement to supply weapons and warplanes to Sudan after Saudi Arabia requested the deal be terminated and withdrew its financial backing, Reuters reported on Monday, citing security sources.

According to the report, the deal was among several under negotiation by the Pakistani military after its jets and weapons systems overperformed in a brief war with India last May.

One security source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had signaled to Islamabad the need to cancel the deal after abandoning plans to finance it.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan maintain close strategic ties, with Islamabad historically providing military support, including weapons and troop deployments, in exchange for financial assistance from Riyadh.

The two countries further strengthened their relationship last year by signing a mutual defense pact, stipulating that an attack on either nation would be treated as an attack on both.

The deal at hand

The $1.5 billion arms agreement between Pakistan and Sudan was first reported to be in its final stages on January 9, 2026, according to Reuters. The deal had not yet been formally announced but was nearing completion following months of negotiations.

The agreement was brokered with facilitation from Saudi Arabia, which played a key role in advancing discussions between Islamabad and Khartoum. While Riyadh’s exact financial commitment was not publicly confirmed at the time, it was widely viewed as a central backer of the arrangement.

Under the proposed deal, Pakistan was set to supply a range of military equipment to Sudan, including aircraft, drones, and other weapons systems. The package reportedly included Karakoram-8 light attack jets, Super Mushshak training aircraft, and potentially JF-17 fighter jets.

The agreement also involved the delivery of more than 200 drones and additional air defense capabilities, aimed at strengthening Sudan’s military capacity amid its ongoing internal conflict. These systems were expected to significantly enhance surveillance and combat operations.