Pakistan nears $1.5 Billion arms deal with Sudan, Reuters reports

Pakistan is nearing a $1.5 billion agreement to supply weapons, aircraft, and drones to Sudan, according to a report by Reuters, citing a former senior Pakistani Air Force official and three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations.

The proposed deal would include 10 Karakoram-8 (K-8) light attack aircraft, more than 200 drones for reconnaissance and loitering-munition operations, and advanced air defence systems, Reuters reported. Two of the sources said negotiations were in their final stages.

“It is a done deal,” Reuters quoted Aamir Masood, a retired Pakistani air marshal who said he continues to receive briefings on Pakistan Air Force matters.

Masood told Reuters the package would also include Super Mushshak training aircraft and could potentially involve JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, which are jointly developed by Pakistan and China and manufactured in Pakistan. However, no delivery schedule or quantities for the JF-17s were disclosed.

The sources cited by Reuters did not specify how the deal would be financed. Masood said it was possible Saudi Arabia could be involved, either by facilitating or supporting the procurement of Pakistani military equipment. One source said Saudi Arabia helped broker the agreement but was not expected to fund it, while another said Riyadh was not providing financing at all.

Sudan’s conflict has continued to deteriorate amid the involvement of multiple domestic and external actors. Regional powers have increasingly competed for influence, seeking to shape the outcome in line with their strategic and geopolitical interests.

Among them, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has faced persistent accusations of backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group central to the fighting. Despite documented evidence and widespread reporting suggesting otherwise, Abu Dhabi has consistently denied any direct involvement. Instead, the UAE has portrayed itself as a neutral actor, repeatedly accusing both sides of perpetuating violence while calling for the establishment of a “civilian-led government.”

The situation underlines broader regional dynamics: Sudan’s internal war has increasingly become a proxy battleground for external powers seeking political and economic leverage. The UAE’s denials, alongside its calls for civilian leadership, reflect the tension between its official stance and ongoing allegations of involvement on the ground.

The Reuters report emerges against the backdrop of growing strains within the Saudi–UAE strategic relationship, tensions that have recently resurfaced in Yemen.

On December 30, 2025, Saudi-led coalition forces bombed the port of Mukalla, claiming the UAE had sent weapons to the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group in southern Yemen.

Shortly thereafter, the UAE announced it would withdraw its remaining “counterterrorism forces from Yemen.” While Abu Dhabi framed the move as voluntary, it was widely viewed as a response to Saudi pressure.

Saudi Arabia has also accused the UAE of secretly smuggling STC leader Aidarous Al-Zubaidi out of Yemen. According to these allegations, Al-Zubaidi fled via Somaliland before being flown to Abu Dhabi with Emirati military assistance.

These developments highlight a growing fracture in the Saudi–UAE partnership, which had previously fought together against Iran-backed Houthi forces. Riyadh now appears increasingly concerned that Abu Dhabi is “undermining Yemeni unity” by backing separatist force, an issue that mirrors broader regional rivalries playing out from Yemen to Sudan.