Makkah (GNP): Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have signed a mutual Makkah Defence Pact committing all three states to treat an attack on any one of them as an attack on all, formalising a security partnership among three of the Muslim world’s most influential nations.
The Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence was held on August 7, 2026, corresponding to 24 Safar 1448H, at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah, at the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The summit was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman received the two leaders at the summit, where the three sides reviewed their longstanding bilateral relations and a number of issues of mutual interest before signing the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the agreement was guided by the historical ties among the three states, rooted in bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity, and built upon shared strategic interests and longstanding defence cooperation.
The statement said the pact reflects the three states’ shared commitment to strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond, in pursuit of a secure and prosperous future.
MOFA said the agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that any armed attack against one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all, adding that it further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three countries.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was honoured to sign the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Erdoğan, describing the three nations as united by faith, friendship and a shared resolve for peace and security.
He said he hoped the pact, signed in the shadow of the Haramain, would serve as a shield of peace for generations to come and bring prosperity to the three countries as well as the wider Muslim Ummah. Sharif also expressed appreciation for Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, whose efforts he said contributed significantly to reaching the agreement.
Erdoğan said the agreement, grounded in the principle of collective deterrence, would help advance security and defence cooperation among the three states, including joint defence industry projects and counterterrorism efforts.
He added that the pact reaffirms the right of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, targets no country, and remains open to any brotherly nation committed to regional peace, prosperity and stability.
He said Turkey would continue its principled approach of resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy in line with international law, and prayed that the visit, consultations and agreement would bring blessings to the region.
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The pact was signed against the backdrop of intensifying attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi forces on Saudi Arabia from Yemen.
Reports said the Houthis killed at least 58 Yemeni government troops in missile and drone strikes on Thursday, one of the deadliest days of the conflict in years, while a separate strike into Saudi Arabia’s southern Najran province injured 11 civilians, including a four-year-old child, according to Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government. Erdoğan indicated the alliance would remain open to other countries joining in the future
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
