Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan Agree to Establish Secretariat Under Defence Pact

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have agreed to establish a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia to coordinate their new defence partnership, marking a significant step towards institutionalising military cooperation among the three countries.

The decision was announced on Monday following the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Under the agreement, the secretariat will initially be headed by a Pakistani secretary-general for a three-year term.

The three countries said they would work to strengthen their collective defence capabilities, improve coordination and increase cohesion among their armed forces.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The agreement provides for collective defence, stating that an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all three. It also calls for expanded cooperation across defence and security sectors.

Monday’s meeting in Istanbul was the first formal gathering of senior officials under the new framework. Foreign and defence ministers, alongside senior military commanders from the three countries, attended the discussions.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the alliance would be known as the Makkah Defence Alliance and that work was underway on a roadmap that could allow other countries to join the arrangement.

The development comes as security tensions across the Middle East remain high, particularly amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran and repeated attacks and threats affecting countries in the region.

The three countries are expected to focus on strengthening the interoperability of their armed forces, improving defence capabilities and expanding cooperation in defence technology and production.

The pact’s collective-defence provision has drawn comparisons with NATO’s Article 5 principle, under which an attack against one member is treated as an attack against the alliance.

However, the countries have stressed that the agreement is intended to strengthen regional security rather than establish a military or sectarian bloc.

Saudi officials previously said the pact was not directed against any particular country and was not linked to nuclear ambitions or an arms race.

Pakistan will provide the first secretary-general of the new secretariat, giving Islamabad an important administrative role in the alliance during its initial three-year phase.

The arrangement is expected to provide a permanent institutional structure through which the three countries can coordinate their defence policies, military cooperation and strategic planning.

The move also reflects the increasingly close security relationship between Islamabad, Riyadh and Ankara.

With the new secretariat and strategic committee now taking shape, the three countries are moving beyond the signing of the August defence agreement towards creating mechanisms capable of implementing its commitments.

The alliance could also expand if additional countries accept invitations to join, potentially giving the Makkah Defence Alliance a broader role in the region’s emerging security architecture.