Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey Sign Mecca Defence Pact Amid Rising Middle East Tensions

RIYADH, Aug. 7 — Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a trilateral defence agreement in Mecca on Friday, pledging closer military cooperation as regional tensions continue to rise following months of conflict and attacks across the Middle East.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement states that an armed attack on any of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all, according to a joint statement issued after the summit.

The statement said the pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence, enhance security cooperation and promote peace and stability in the region and beyond. It did not disclose details of the military commitments or obligations undertaken by each country.

A Turkish official said the agreement is defensive in nature, is not directed against any specific country and remains open to participation by other regional states. The official added that the pact does not replace existing bilateral or multilateral security arrangements.

The agreement comes as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states face growing security challenges following months of missile and drone attacks and disruptions to regional energy exports.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, attended the summit after performing Umrah in Mecca. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also participated in the meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Analysts said the agreement reflects increasing coordination among three of the Muslim world's most influential states at a time of heightened regional uncertainty.

Turkey has NATO's second-largest military, Saudi Arabia is the Gulf's largest economy and a leading global oil exporter, while Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority country.

The pact builds on longstanding defence cooperation among the three countries. Pakistan has trained Saudi security forces for decades and has expanded military cooperation with the Kingdom in recent years. Turkey and Pakistan have also strengthened defence ties through joint training programmes and military equipment exchanges, while Saudi Arabia has increased defence procurement from Turkey.

Defence analysts said the agreement is expected to boost cooperation in areas including military training, defence industries, intelligence sharing and regional security, although they do not expect it to include Pakistan's nuclear deterrent, which remains focused on India.

The agreement follows months of discussions on expanding regional security cooperation and is expected to strengthen strategic ties among the three countries as instability continues across the Middle East.