Saudi, Pakistan and Turkey meet in Riyadh on Mecca defence pact as Houthi attacks continue
In short
Ministers and military chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey met in Riyadh on Monday for the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, with Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia on the agenda. A joint statement said Turkey and Pakistan agreed to provide “military forces and capabilities” to the kingdom and to move immediately to implement collective defence commitments, and named a retired Pakistani general as the alliance’s secretary general. Saudi Arabia later vowed to take “all necessary measures” to protect its security and condemned Houthi attacks on Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and other cities.
Read the full story 2 min read
Ministers and military commanders from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey met in Riyadh on Monday for the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, with regional security and Houthi attacks on the kingdom on the agenda, according to Gulf News and The National. [ 1 , 2 ]
Pakistan’s delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said. Turkey was represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources cited by Gulf News. The National reported that the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the meeting would discuss the stage reached in the alliance’s institutionalisation, and that Pakistan said its participation showed resolve to contribute to regional peace and stability. [ 1 , 2 ]
A joint statement issued after the talks said Turkey and Pakistan had agreed to provide “military forces and capabilities” to Saudi Arabia. The committee “decided to move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defense commitments and to take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the kingdom,” the statement said, according to The National. It added that retired Pakistani Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood had been appointed secretary general of the alliance. The National reported there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi officials or state media. [ 2 ]
The National reported that Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to launch ballistic missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, including on energy infrastructure, and that the talks took place as the war between Iran, the US and Israel drags on. A Pakistani Foreign Ministry official briefed on the talks told the outlet that “the meeting’s focus would definitely be Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.” Gulf News reported that Fidan was expected to reaffirm Turkey’s support for Saudi Arabia following recent Houthi attacks, stress the importance of protecting freedom and security of navigation along international trade routes, and underline that disputes should be resolved peacefully and escalation avoided. [ 1 , 2 ]
Arabian Business reported that Saudi Arabia vowed to take “all necessary measures” to protect its security as it condemned Houthi attacks on Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and other cities. [ 3 ]
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed in Mecca on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Gulf News reported, with the aim of strengthening the three countries’ security through collective deterrence and defence and promoting regional solutions to regional security challenges. The committee’s inaugural meeting was held in Istanbul in August, according to The National. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The meeting turns the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed in August, toward practical military arrangements, with two outside powers committing forces to Saudi Arabia while it is under missile and drone attack. Rapid deployment inside the kingdom could widen a regional conflict that already involves Iran, the United States and Israel. How the alliance is institutionalised, and who leads it, shapes security along Middle East trade routes.
Key facts
- Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey met in Riyadh on Monday for a meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee established under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, according to Gulf News and The National. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Pakistan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said. [ 1 ]
- Turkey was represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources. [ 1 ]
- A joint statement said Turkey and Pakistan agreed to provide military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia and decided to move immediately to implement collective defence commitments, including rapid deployment in the kingdom, according to The National. [ 2 ]
- Retired Pakistani Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood was appointed secretary general of the alliance, the joint statement said. [ 2 ]
- The National reported there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi officials or state media at the time of its report; Arabian Business later reported Saudi Arabia condemned Houthi attacks on Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and other cities and vowed to take “all necessary measures” to protect its security. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed in Mecca on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Gulf News reported; the committee held its inaugural meeting in Istanbul in August, according to The National. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey held a meeting of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Riyadh on Monday. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The meeting covered regional security and the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs from the three countries attended. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed by the three countries in August, aiming to strengthen their security through collective deterrence and defence. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Saudi Arabia publicly confirmed the joint statement’s commitments and the appointment of the alliance’s secretary general. The National reported there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi officials or state media, and the Saudi-side account in Arabian Business is a short summary that does not mention the joint statement.
- When the agreed Pakistani and Turkish military forces and capabilities would arrive in the kingdom and in what size. The joint statement is described by a single outlet, The National, as calling for rapid deployment but giving no timetable or numbers.
- The full contents of the joint statement issued after the meeting. Only The National quotes it, and no document reproduces the text in full.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Gulf News reports that officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey will meet in Riyadh on Monday for the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, listing the delegations and Turkey’s expected positions. [ 1 ]
- The National reports the meeting has taken place, citing a joint statement that Turkey and Pakistan agreed to provide military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia and that retired Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood was appointed secretary general. [ 2 ]
- Arabian Business reports Saudi Arabia condemned Houthi attacks on Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and other cities and vowed to take “all necessary measures” to protect its security. [ 3 ]