Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign mutual defense pact in Makkah

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a mutual defense agreement on Friday under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all.

The deal establishes a new security framework among three influential Muslim-majority states.

What is the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement?

The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement is a trilateral pact signed at Al-Safa Palace, treating an armed attack on any of the three signatories as an attack on all of them.

It was signed during a summit attended by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to a joint statement.

What does the agreement cover?

The agreement seeks to strengthen collective deterrence and expand military cooperation among the three countries. The statement did not specify the nature or scope of the military commitments each country has undertaken.

The pact builds on longstanding defense ties between the three states and reflects their shared strategic interests, the statement said. It cited historical bonds, Islamic solidarity and decades of military cooperation as the foundation for the new framework.

Why was the defense pact signed now?

The agreement comes as the Middle East faces heightened security risks after nearly three years of conflict following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel. Israel has since fought in Gaza, expanded military operations in Lebanon and Syria and launched air campaigns against Iran, while missile and drone attacks have spread across the region.

Iran has also targeted U.S. military positions and other sites in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan, raising concern among regional governments about spillover from the conflicts. Turkey and Pakistan have largely avoided direct involvement in the fighting but have sought to limit regional instability that could threaten their own security and economies.

For Saudi Arabia, prolonged conflict poses additional risks to energy exports and its economic transformation plans, while raising questions about the durability of its traditional reliance on U.S. security guarantees. The three leaders said the agreement would contribute to peace, security and stability in the region and beyond, and reaffirmed their commitment to closer coordination on regional and international issues.

How significant are the countries involved?

The pact carries added weight given the military profile of each signatory. Turkey, a NATO member with the alliance's second-largest military, maintains extensive defense capabilities, while Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority state. Saudi Arabia is the Arab world's largest economy and a major global oil exporter.

The agreement was signed in Makkah, Islam's holiest city, adding symbolic significance to the new security arrangement. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in January that Ankara supported the creation of a broader regional security platform aimed at strengthening cooperation and stability.