Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan are moving to activate their newly signed joint defence agreement as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis intensify missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.
The three countries agreed on Friday to arrange an urgent meeting of their military chiefs to discuss ways to support Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. Their foreign ministers, meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, condemned attacks targeting Mecca and Saudi Arabia’s civilian and economic infrastructure.
The agreement, signed in Mecca on August 7 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, provides for collective defence, with an attack on one member treated as an attack on all three. The countries began building the pact’s institutional structure at their first strategic political and defence committee meeting in Istanbul on August 31.
The pact is now facing its first major test.
The Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, targeting cities and energy infrastructure. The group has claimed missile and drone attacks on Riyadh and an Aramco facility in Yanbu, while Saudi authorities said they intercepted six ballistic missiles launched towards Taif and Yanbu.
Earlier attacks also hit areas around Jizan, while Saudi Arabia has reported damage to buildings and infrastructure following Houthi strikes. The escalation has raised concerns over the security of Saudi oil facilities and shipping routes in the Red Sea and wider Gulf region.
Turkiye has already signalled its willingness to help Saudi Arabia with military requirements under the pact. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on September 19 that Ankara could provide support for Saudi Arabia’s “technical” military needs.
Pakistan has also publicly reaffirmed its commitment to Saudi security. Its military leadership has said Islamabad would go to “any extent” to defend the kingdom, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has pledged to stand with Saudi Arabia.
The United States has also welcomed the agreement. President Donald Trump praised the Mecca pact in August, calling it an important step towards greater regional cooperation.
The alliance comes as Turkiye seeks to expand its defence role in the region. Over the past two decades, Ankara has developed a significant defence industry, particularly in drones and other military equipment, and has expanded exports across the Gulf, Africa, Asia and Europe.
For Saudi Arabia, the pact offers another regional security framework at a time when attacks by the Houthis are putting pressure on its military and energy infrastructure. But the immediate question is how far Turkiye and Pakistan will go in providing military assistance as the conflict in Yemen escalates.
The urgent meeting of the three countries’ military chiefs is expected to provide the first indication of how the Mecca agreement will operate in practice.