Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign Makkah joint defence agreement

On August 7, 2026, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the 'Makkah Joint Defence Agreement' during a summit held at the Al-Safa Palace in Makkah. The agreement was formalized by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The pact includes a collective defence clause, stipulating that an armed attack against any one of the three member states will be considered an attack on all. Officials described the initiative as a purely defensive measure intended to enhance collective deterrence and stability in the Middle East.

The alliance follows over a year of deliberations and emerges amid heightened regional instability, including conflicts involving Iran, the Houthis in Yemen, and tensions with Israel. While some analysts have speculated on the potential for an 'Islamic NATO,' Ankara and Riyadh have emphasized that the pact does not target any specific nation, nor does it conflict with Turkey's existing obligations to NATO. The agreement remains open to other regional countries, although Iran has publicly dismissed the deal as a 'paper agreement' that will not provide genuine security.