Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign defence pact amid regional war
Updated Aug. 7, 2026, 5:22 p.m. | By AFP Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement on Friday amid violence in the region from…
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Updated Aug. 7, 2026, 5:22 p.m. | By AFP
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement on Friday amid violence in the region from Houthi attacks and the US-Iran war.
Riyadh is looking to strengthen its security ties against the backdrop of war between the United States and Iran, which has drawn in surrounding nations and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea.
The war has emboldened Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen, both of which have attacked Saudi Arabia, while analysts say Washington is now seen as an increasingly unreliable partner.
In a joint statement published by the official Saudi press agency and Pakistan's foreign ministry, the three countries announced the signing of the "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement".
They declared a "shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond".
The Pakistani foreign ministry said the pact meant an attack on any member would be regarded as an attack on all, adding it was "intended to strengthen collective deterrence".
Since the onset of the regional war, Saudi Arabia has grown closer to Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan, which have been pushing for mediation and a resolution to the conflict.
Umar Karim, an expert on Saudi foreign policy at the University of Birmingham, called the deal a "highly significant development".
The alignment "is clearly oriented towards Iran and meant to address Iran's new strategic approach which is geared towards dominance of the broader Gulf region".
The fact that Turkey and Pakistan border Iran means they could "exercise a different kind of leverage" on Tehran, he added.
A source close to the Saudi military and government told AFP before the signing that although the agreement had been under discussion for a long time, "the latest developments in the region expedite it".
Andreas Krieg of King's College London said the deal showed a clear desire to diversify alliances beyond the United States.
"Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are not trying to replace the United States. They are building the capacity to protect their interests when Washington cannot or will not do so."
Riyadh, in particular, he said, "wants several layers of security rather than one American umbrella", after the shock of the Iran war.
The deal will support Saudi Arabia's ambitions to become an organiser of regional security and diversify its defence umbrella, while Turkey and Pakistan gain political clout and access to potential Saudi investments, he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Mecca on Friday, the Turkish presidency said on X, sharing an image of the meeting.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign Joint Defence Agreement https://t.co/q9c42DOtTW pic.twitter.com/k1EKozqpKH— Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (@trpresidency) August 7, 2026
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign Joint Defence Agreement…