Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a new security pact aimed at strengthening military cooperation and collective defence among the three countries. The agreement was signed in Mecca on Friday by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Focus on Collective Defence
According to a joint statement, the agreement seeks to enhance regional peace, security and stability through closer defence cooperation. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the pact is designed to strengthen collective deterrence and states that an armed attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all three.
However, the agreement does not publicly detail the specific military commitments or operational mechanisms involved.
Signed Amid Regional Tensions
The defence pact comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, particularly following attacks linked to Iran-backed groups targeting Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations. A Turkish official described the agreement as defensive in nature, adding that it is not directed against any specific country and remains open to participation by other regional states. The official also said the pact does not replace existing bilateral or multilateral defence arrangements.
Strategic Importance of the Three Nations
The three countries bring significant military capabilities to the partnership. Turkey has NATO’s second-largest military, Saudi Arabia is one of the Gulf region’s strongest military powers and a major global oil exporter, while Pakistan is the world’s only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority nation.
The new agreement also builds on the Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defence pact signed in 2025 and follows Kuwait’s recent ratification of a defence cooperation agreement with Pakistan.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement marks a significant step in expanding defence collaboration among the three Sunni-majority nations and is expected to influence the evolving security landscape in the Middle East.