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Makkah pact signed
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement on August 7, 2026, declaring that an armed attack against one would be regarded as an attack against all three.
“Barely three days after Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement”
ThePrint said the agreement was signed in Makkah and framed as a collective-defense guarantee, while also arguing that “Turkey already has the NATO cover” and “Pakistan has nuclear weapons.”
Al Jazeera described the pact as strengthening collective deterrence amid growing regional tensions, including concerns over Israel’s expanding military reach and Iran’s regional influence.
Daily Sabah reported Qatar’s support for the trilateral defense pact, quoting Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari in Doha saying, “We welcome any regional cooperation that strengthens security, stability and defense among the countries of the region.”
Divergent regional reactions
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari told a weekly news conference in Doha that “regional security is a collective responsibility that requires regional coordination and cooperation.”
ThePrint argued that the pact’s challenge is the “three Es— the questions of common enemy, economic challenges and efficiency,” and said the Houthis’ strikes on Saudi met with no response from the tripartite agreement.
Middle East Eye reported that Saudi Arabia opposed Egypt’s inclusion in the Mecca agreement, citing three Saudi sources familiar with discussions and saying Riyadh did not want Egypt to join “at least for now”.
Middle East Eye also quoted a former senior adviser to the Saudi monarchy saying, “Egypt has always been a dependent on us, on the US, and it does not give back, it just takes and takes with no return,” while describing Turkey’s push for Cairo to be included.
Capabilities and next risks
Al Jazeera’s explainer said the three countries together include nearly 1.4 million active military personnel, 3,415 military aircraft, 6,046 tanks and more than 340 naval assets according to the 2026 Global Firepower Index.
“Together, the three countries combine nearly 1.4 million active military personnel”
Al Jazeera also reported that Andreas Krieg said the pact’s significance lies in complementing capabilities, including that “Saudi Arabia contributes capital, geography, infrastructure and political convening power.”
ThePrint warned that the pact is principally about Saudi insecurity and its inability to protect itself and its interests, and said “there is no going back to the status quo ante.”
In parallel, ThePrint described a regional dynamic in which camps are forming, and it said Turkey’s relationship with Israel shows why a ‘direct war’ test is the wrong measure, with Syria described as “the theatre and the precedent.”