Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended Friday prayers in Mecca and signed a joint defence agreement aimed at strengthening regional security. The pact comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly following escalations between the US, Iran, and Israel. The agreement, referred to as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, marks a significant step in military cooperation between the three nations (7).
The leaders met in Mecca to formalise the pact, which seeks to enhance collective deterrence against aggression and improve regional stability. The agreement is part of broader efforts to counter growing instability in the region, with the US-Iran conflict playing a key role in prompting the alliance (2). The pact includes commitments to mutual defence and cooperation in security matters.
The defence agreement has also drawn attention to Pakistan’s arms deals with Sudan and Libya, which Saudi Arabia had previously sought to halt. The new alliance may revive discussions around these deals, which are valued at over $5 billion (5). While the pact is framed as a non-aggressive measure, Turkey has stated it is not aimed at any particular country (4).
