Summary
- _Mecca Joint Defence Agreement invoked for first time after Houthi attacks; Pakistan and Türkiye agree to rapid deployment of forces to Kingdom_ US President Donald Trump has welcomed the decision by Türkiye and Pakistan to deploy military forces to Saudi Arabia under the *Mecca Alliance for Defence*, saying: > “I think they want to help Saudi Arabia, and I think that’s great.” The remarks came after Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed on Monday to activate collective deterrence measures and rapidly deploy forces to the Kingdom following an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC) in Riyadh.
- 86f6 According to a joint statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, each country will contribute agreed military capabilities for rapid deployment to Saudi Arabia under approved national legal frameworks.
- 86f6 President Trump had previously hailed the pact in August as a *”BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP”* towards regional self-defence, posting on Truth Social that the Middle East is “coming together.” aaed The alliance brings together Türkiye — NATO’s second-largest army — Pakistan, the Islamic world’s only nuclear power, and Saudi Arabia, the Gulf’s leading military power.
_Mecca Joint Defence Agreement invoked for first time after Houthi attacks; Pakistan and Türkiye agree to rapid deployment of forces to Kingdom_
US President Donald Trump has welcomed the decision by Türkiye and Pakistan to deploy military forces to Saudi Arabia under the *Mecca Alliance for Defence*, saying:
> “I think they want to help Saudi Arabia, and I think that’s great.”
The remarks came after Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed on Monday to activate collective deterrence measures and rapidly deploy forces to the Kingdom following an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC) in Riyadh. 86f6
This marks the *first time the mutual defence pact has been invoked since it was signed on August 7, 2026*. 86f6
The pact stipulates that *an attack on any one of the three member states will be treated as an attack on all*, mirroring NATO’s Article 5. 86f6
According to a joint statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, each country will contribute agreed military capabilities for rapid deployment to Saudi Arabia under approved national legal frameworks. 86f6
Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said the measures were activated to demonstrate unity and confront attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and its holy sites.
The activation was triggered by *escalating attacks from Yemen’s Houthis*, who claimed strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery in Rabigh and an airbase. 86f6
The Mecca Alliance, formed in August 2026 amid heightened regional conflict, had seen its activation delayed as Ankara and Islamabad sought to maintain mediator roles. In early September, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had warned that any spillover from Yemen into Saudi Arabia would set the agreement into motion. 86f6
President Trump had previously hailed the pact in August as a *”BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP”* towards regional self-defence, posting on Truth Social that the Middle East is “coming together.” aaed
The alliance brings together Türkiye — NATO’s second-largest army — Pakistan, the Islamic world’s only nuclear power, and Saudi Arabia, the Gulf’s leading military power. Pakistan’s retired Lt. Gen. Nauman Mahmood has been appointed as its first Secretary-General.
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