Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Pakistan Forge Defence Alliance In Mecca
By ANDERSON CLIFF
SAUDI Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have signed a joint defence agreement to strengthen security cooperation amid rising tensions across the Middle East.
The agreement, known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, seeks to strengthen collective deterrence against external attacks.
The three countries said an armed attack against one signatory would be treated as an attack against all three.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement in Mecca on Friday.
The pact also provides for broader defence cooperation among the three countries.
The agreement comes as military tensions continue to reshape security calculations across the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia has faced growing security concerns linked to regional conflicts. Attacks have previously targeted critical infrastructure and oil facilities in the kingdom.
The conflict between the United States and Iran has also affected Gulf states and increased pressure on regional governments to strengthen their defence arrangements.
Saudi Arabia has therefore continued to diversify its security and defence partnerships.
Türkiye and Pakistan have not faced the same level of direct attacks. But both countries have strong interests in containing conflicts that could threaten regional stability and their economies.
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy, Rayed Krimly, said the agreement was not directed against any country.
He said the pact was also not connected to nuclear ambitions or an arms race.
Instead, he said, it was designed to build sustainable and self-reliant defence capabilities.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the agreement would serve the interests of the three countries and strengthen regional security and stability.
Iran, however, reacted cautiously to the development.
Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei questioned whether the agreement would deliver lasting security for Saudi Arabia.
The pact marks a significant expansion of defence cooperation among three influential Muslim-majority countries.
Its implementation could also shape the evolving balance of power and security partnerships across the Middle East and beyond.
