Makkah Defence Alliance names Pakistan for top role

Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have formally renamed their trilateral defence partnership the

Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have formally renamed their trilateral defence partnership the “Makkah Defence Alliance”, with Pakistan set to provide the alliance’s first secretary general.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the announcement on Monday after the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Istanbul.

Fidan said the alliance’s secretariat would be established in Riyadh, while a roadmap was being prepared to allow other friendly countries to join the defence framework.

He said the alliance was aimed at promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region while strengthening coordination among the three member states amid rising regional and global security challenges.

The Turkish foreign minister said the meeting focused on defining shared responsibilities and improving cooperation between the armed forces of Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

According to Fidan, the alliance will work to enhance the three countries’ defence capabilities and strengthen collective deterrence. Joint efforts against terrorism will also remain an important part of the cooperation.

Defence industry collaboration is another major area under discussion, including joint production, research and development, and greater coordination in defence-related technologies.

Fidan said mechanisms would also be developed to establish the alliance’s secretariat and provide an institutional framework for implementing joint initiatives.

He stressed that the alliance was not directed against any particular country. He added that friendly states willing to follow the alliance’s principles could potentially participate in the framework.

Pakistan was represented at the high-level meeting by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

Senior Turkish and Saudi officials, including their foreign and defence ministers and military leadership, also participated in the meeting.

Pakistan’s involvement highlights its longstanding strategic and diplomatic ties with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia and its stated commitment to regional peace and security.

The trilateral defence agreement was signed on August 7 amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all members, creating a collective defence arrangement similar in principle to NATO’s Article 5.

The alliance is therefore expected to serve as a broader framework for defence coordination, deterrence and security cooperation among its members.