Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan to Sign Joint Defence Pact Amid Regional Tensions

International Desk : Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are set to sign a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday, according to sources familiar with the matter, as escalating tensions in the Middle East continue to reshape regional security dynamics.

The agreement comes amid ongoing instability following the Iran-US-Israel conflict, which has seen Gulf states face attacks from Iran and heightened concerns over regional security.

Although the pact is expected to strengthen cooperation among three major Sunni Muslim countries that maintain close ties with the United States, details of the commitments under the agreement and its implications for the wider Middle East crisis have not yet been disclosed.

Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest military, Saudi Arabia, the region’s largest oil exporter and custodian of Islam’s holiest sites, and Pakistan, the world’s only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority country, are expected to formalise the agreement during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Jeddah on Thursday and performed Umrah in Mecca, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Saudi Arabia on Friday.

The three leaders are expected to discuss regional security following repeated attacks on Saudi Arabia by Iran, Yemen’s Houthi movement and Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The conflict has also disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and liquefied natural gas exports.

The proposed defence pact follows nearly a year of negotiations. Earlier this year, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara supported the creation of a broader regional security platform aimed at enhancing cooperation and stability.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan already maintain a defence agreement under which an attack on either country is treated as an attack on both. However, Pakistan has so far avoided direct military involvement in the Iran conflict, instead pursuing diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.

Neither the Pakistani military nor the Saudi government immediately commented on the proposed agreement, although Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed Prime Minister Sharif’s visit, describing it as part of efforts to further strengthen bilateral relations.

The agreement also builds on longstanding defence cooperation among the three countries. Pakistan has trained Saudi security forces for decades, while Turkey and Pakistan have expanded military collaboration through the exchange of warships, training aircraft and defence technology. In 2023, Saudi Arabia signed a deal to purchase Turkish drones, described by Ankara as its largest-ever defence export contract.

According to previous Reuters reports, Pakistan has also deployed thousands of troops, fighter jets, drones and air-defence systems to Saudi Arabia and has been expanding security cooperation with other Gulf countries.