- Exercise served to further strengthen deep-rooted and historic military-to-military ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia: Military’s media wing
RAWALPINDI: The joint military counter-terrorism exercise Al Battar-II between the troops of the Pakistan Army and the Royal Saudi Land Forces (18–26 November 2025) concluded on Wednesday. Combat teams from the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Army participated in the exercise and the concluding ceremony of the exercise was at Tabuk, KSA, according to the military’s media wing.
“Troops from both brotherly countries demonstrated exceptional standards of professionalism, operational skill, and interoperability throughout the exercise,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement on Wednesday.
#ISPR
Rawalpindi, 26 November, 2025#Pakistan– Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Joint Military Exercise Al Battar-II was conducted from 18–26 November 2025 in the Counter Terrorism domain. Combat teams from the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) and the KSA Army… pic.twitter.com/EAEAWfgOwI— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) November 26, 2025
According to the ISPR, the exercise, Al Battar-II, focused on enhancing joint proficiency in counter-terrorism operations, with an emphasis on fighting in urban terrain, countering improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and refining tactical drills and procedures through integrated training.
“The exercise also served to further strengthen the deep-rooted and historic military-to-military ties between Pakistan and the KSA,” said the ISPR.
The military’s media wing further stated that all “objectives were successfully achieved, reinforcing the commitment of both nations to regional peace, security, and collaborative defence preparedness”.
The closing ceremony of the drills was attended by senior Saudi and Pakistani officials, with the general officer commanding (GOC) of the Special Services Group (SSG) attending as the chief guest of the ceremony.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long enjoyed cordial, friendly, and brotherly relations, grounded in historic religious and cultural ties. Over time, these fraternal bonds have strengthened across all spheres of life, with defence and strategic cooperation reaching unprecedented heights.
The two countries have long shared a multifaceted relationship rooted in strategic military cooperation, mutual economic interests, and shared Islamic heritage. These ties have encompassed economic assistance and energy supplies, with Riyadh being a significant source of financial aid and oil for Islamabad.
In September, the two countries had signed a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” in Riyadh, pledging that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.
Earlier on November 24, Saudi Armed Forces Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh Bin Hameed Al Rowaili arrived in Pakistan on official visit and held meetings with senior officials.
A statement from state broadcaster PTV News, the Saudi Armed Forces Chief of General Staff called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Duirng the meeting, General Al-Rowaili conveyed felicitations from the Saudi leadership to the prime minister and the people of Pakistan and reaffirmed the kingdom’s strong desire to elevate the current excellent defence and strategic partnership with Pakistan to new heights.
PM Shehbaz also reaffirmed his firm commitment to further strengthening the “historic fraternal relations” between the countries in all sectors, including economic, defence and security.
Earlier, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s military leadership discussed strengthening the “longstanding and strategic” cooperation between the two countries, focusing on defence, security and counterterrorism efforts, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
The discussion took place during a meeting between Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir and General Al Rowaili at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, according to the ISPR.
Prior to this on November 14, Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lieutenant General Aamer Raza met his Saudi counterpart, General Fayyadh Bin Hameed Al-Rowaily, in Riyadh to discuss broadening strategic ties and strengthening the mutual defence agreement signed by the two nations, the military’s media wing said on Friday.
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “matters of mutual strategic interest” were discussed during the meeting, including strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, enhancing interoperability and advancing collaboration under the mutual defence agreement.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening the long-standing fraternal ties between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, contributing towards regional peace, stability and self-reliance,” the ISPR said.
The ISPR added that a special meeting of the Pakistan-KSA Bilateral Defence Industrial Forum was also held in Riyadh. Pakistan’s tri-services delegation was led by Lt Gen Raza, while Khalid Al Biyari, Assistant Minister of Defence for Executive Affairs, led the Saudi delegation.
