Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Makkah on Friday, August 7, under which an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be considered an attack against all three.
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement during a summit in Makkah.
The agreement follows nearly a year of negotiations and comes at a time of heightened regional insecurity. The three countries have described it as a defensive arrangement and said it is not directed against any particular country.
Why was the agreement signed now?
The pact was concluded as the security situation across the Middle East deteriorated.
According to Reuters, Iran and groups aligned with Tehran have attacked Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states during the US-Iran war. Houthi attacks and disruption to shipping and energy exports have added to concerns over the security of the region.
Iran is not the only factor.
Israel has expanded military operations across the region since October 2023, including operations in southern Lebanon, military activity in Syria and air campaigns against Iran.
Turkiye’s position on Syria has also brought it into increasing tension with Israel. Ankara has supported efforts to rebuild a unified and militarily capable Syrian state following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, while Israel has targeted Syrian military infrastructure and continued strikes inside the country.
Burcu Ozcelik, a senior research fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute, told Reuters that the agreement was intended to counterbalance Iran’s regional influence while also strengthening deterrence against Israel.
What does the Makkah Agreement say?
The central provision is collective defence: an armed attack against one signatory will be considered an attack against all three.
The agreement also aims to strengthen joint deterrence, raise military readiness and develop defence cooperation.
In a post on X, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Raed Qarmali said the agreement was the result of detailed negotiations and reflected the longstanding strategic relationship between the three countries.
Qarmali said it would allow the three countries to develop and integrate defence capabilities and improve their readiness to confront threats.
He also stressed that the pact does not create a military axis or sectarian bloc and is not linked to nuclear projects or an arms race.
Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a post on X that the agreement establishes a framework for a long-term defence partnership and strengthens deterrence, coordination and integration.
How did Saudi Arabia and Pakistan lay the groundwork?
The trilateral agreement builds on a defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in September 2025.
That agreement established that an act of aggression against one country would be considered an act of aggression against both.
The Makkah pact extends that commitment to Turkiye.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have maintained military ties for decades through training, exercises and other defence cooperation. Reuters has reported that Pakistan has also provided military personnel and equipment to Saudi Arabia.
The existing relationship gave the two countries a foundation for expanding their defence cooperation with Turkiye.
Why does Turkiye matter?
Tukiye brings a large military and an established defence industry to the arrangement.
Reuters describes Turkiye as having NATO’s second-largest military. Its domestic defence sector has developed capabilities in drones and other advanced military systems.
Turkiye also has established defence cooperation with Pakistan and expanding military ties with Saudi Arabia.
Its participation therefore adds another significant military and industrial capability to the trilateral framework.
What does each country gain?
For Saudi Arabia, the agreement broadens its defence partnerships and adds another mechanism for collective deterrence as Riyadh faces a more uncertain regional security environment.
For Pakistan, it strengthens its existing defence relationships with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye while giving Islamabad a formal role in the new three-country framework.
For Turkiye, the pact deepens its defence ties with Riyadh and Islamabad and gives Ankara another platform to engage in regional security.
Is this an ‘Islamic NATO’?
The comparison with NATO comes from the collective defence provision.
NATO’s Article 5 establishes that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all. The Makkah agreement contains a similar principle.
But the institutional structures are different.
NATO has a permanent political and military organisation, an integrated command system and established mechanisms for joint planning and decision-making.
The Makkah agreement does not establish a comparable permanent command structure or standing multinational force.
It is therefore more accurate to describe it as a trilateral collective defence framework rather than an “Islamic NATO”.
Would an attack automatically trigger military action?
The agreement does not publicly establish an automatic military response.
Although an attack on one member is regarded as an attack on all three, the available details do not specify that the other two countries must immediately deploy forces or take a particular military action.
The response would depend on the circumstances and decisions taken by the three governments.
What areas could see greater cooperation?
The agreement provides for developing and integrating defence capabilities, improving readiness and strengthening deterrence.
Its implementation could lead to closer cooperation in areas such as military training, exercises, information-sharing, and defence industries.
The precise mechanisms for putting these commitments into practice have not been fully detailed publicly.
How have other countries reacted?
Iran has criticised the agreement.
Iranian parliamentarian Ebrahim Rezaei described it as a “paper agreement”, arguing that Saudi Arabia would not achieve security through an arrangement with Turkiye and Pakistan.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also called for Muslim unity and self-reliance while highlighting Iran’s military capabilities.
India is closely following the development because Pakistan is one of the signatories, according to Reuters.
The agreement does not mention India or establish an obligation for Saudi Arabia or Turkiye to intervene in an India-Pakistan conflict.
While Israel has not issued a substantive public response, Reuters reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office declined to comment.
Could other countries join?
Erdogan has said the framework is open to other “brotherly” countries seeking peace, prosperity and stability in the region.
No wider membership structure has been announced.
Any expansion would require agreement on the obligations of new members and the mechanisms for collective defence and military coordination.
What does the pact mean for the region?
The Makkah Agreement gives Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan a formal framework for collective defence at a time of major regional uncertainty.
Its longer-term significance will depend on how the three countries implement the agreement and whether the commitments develop into sustained military cooperation.
The pact does not replace existing defence arrangements with other countries.
For now, it marks a significant expansion of defence cooperation among Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan, while its wider impact will depend on whether the agreement develops from a political commitment into a practical security framework.
