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‘Makkah Agreement’: A Defense Pact between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sign a joint defense agreement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026. (SPA)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sign a joint defense agreement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026. (SPA)
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‘Makkah Agreement’: A Defense Pact between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sign a joint defense agreement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026. (SPA)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sign a joint defense agreement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed on Friday a defense agreement that reflects the three nations’ keenness on bolstering their joint security and achieve security, peace and stability in the region and world.

The agreement was signed by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the holy city of Makkah.

The agreement was signed given the strong historic bonds between their countries and based on the ties of fraternity and Islamic solidarity, as well as the joint strategic interests and mutual close defense cooperation between them.

The agreement aims at bolstering collective deterrence against any attack, saying: "Any ‌armed attack on any one of the ‌three countries will be regarded as ⁠an ⁠attack against them all."

The pact also aims to develop all aspects of defense cooperation between the three nations.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz had invited Erdogan and Sharif to visit the Kingdom. They were received by Crown Prince Mohammed at the al-Safa palace in Makkah.

Collective deterrence

In a post on the X platform, Erdogan said that the agreement "is based on the principle of collective deterrence."

"It will help boost our security and defense cooperation and develop joint defense industries projects and combat terrorism," he added.

He stressed that the agreement is open to "all fraternal nations that want to achieve peace, prosperity and stability in our region."

Moreover, Erdogan said the pact underscores the right to defense as stipulated in Article 51 of UN Charter. The pact "does not target any country," he stressed.

Türkiye will continue to firmly stand by its stance of resolving disputes and crises through dialogue and diplomacy based on the respect of international law and its vision of regional sovereignty, he said.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari welcomed the agreement, saying it was a significant development that would boost regional and global peace, security and stability.

Officials, including Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the signing ceremony of the agreement. (SPA)

"This landmark pact strengthens collective deterrence, deepens defense cooperation and reaffirms the shared commitment of the three brotherly nations to a secure and prosperous future," he noted.

"May Allah Almighty bless this historic agreement and grant lasting peace, security and prosperity to our nations and the Muslim Ummah," he added.

In a post on X, Sharif said: "Three brotherly nations, united by faith, friendship and a shared resolve for peace and security."

"May this historic pact, signed in the shadow of the Haramain, remain a shield of peace for generations to come and may it bring prosperity for our three brotherly countries as well as for the Ummah."

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said on X: "The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan establishes a framework for a long-term defense partnership, enhancing deterrence, coordination, and integration between our countries, and contributing to regional and global security and stability."

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said the agreement "underscores the depth of fraternal and strategic ties" between the three countries.

It is a "milestone in the defense cooperation between them and a crowning achievement for their shared desire to unify efforts in confronting challenges and threats against the security and stability of the region," he added on X.

"It is an embodiment of the joint political will of the three countries towards safeguarding security and stability and supporting a more secure regional environment that serves our nations and peoples," he continued.

The pact will "reflect positively on the whole region and paves the way for a secure future full of opportunities for development and prosperity," he stated.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, signs the defense pact. (SPA)

Positive impact on security

Saudi Undersecretary of the Saudi Foreign Ministry for Public Diplomacy Raed Qarmali said the agreement "embodies the depth of the historic strategic relations between the three nations that stretch decades." It is a culmination of years of negotiations.

It allows the three countries to develop joint defense capabilities and strategic deterrence and raise their levels of preparedness, he continued.

He stated that under the agreement, "any external armed attack on any of the three countries is considered an attack on all."

He stressed, however, that it does not represent any trend toward building a military axis or a sectarian bloc, nor is it linked to nuclear ambitions or an arms race, but rather to building sustainable self-capabilities.

Qarmali said that "the agreement does not come at the expense of Saudi Arabia's strategic and strong relations with the Gulf, Arab, and at international levels, nor is it a threat to the security of any country in the region, or an escalation of tension between any two nations."

He explained that it "does not cancel or replace any bilateral or multilateral agreements between these countries or with other states and organizations."

Professor of political media Dr. Abdullah Al-Rifai described the agreement as "highly important," saying it "represents a gain for the world" as it "contributes to ensuring the balance of power in the region, thereby boosting security and stability in the heart of the world, the main energy source, and the primary shipping lanes between East and West."

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the signing ceremony. (SPA)

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he added that the agreement will have a positive impact on the security and stability of the region and development in the world.

The presence of a regional power that balances the other competing forces in the region will support the process of security, peace, and stability, especially since the three countries target security, stability, and development, and the agreement falls within this scope, he explained.

The agreement is not aimed at any specific country, but aims to boost the opportunities for peace and the balance that leads to peace, he went on to say.

He considered the phrasing of the agreement to be "its most important aspect," as it "reaffirms a single objective through collective defense among the three nations, and this commitment will impact the balance and calculations of activities that might aim to destabilize the region."

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, shakes hands with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the signing ceremony. (SPA)

Sovereign right

Military and strategic expert Faisal al-Hamad told Asharq Al-Awsat that the signing of the agreement "reflects Saudi Arabia's keenness to cooperate with sisterly and friendly countries to maintain regional and global security and stability."

"All three countries seek to establish security, stability, and prosperity for the peoples of the region and the world," he stressed.

Al-Hamad said that "the defense agreement is a sovereign right of any country, and there are no external dictates regarding the sovereign rights of these states."

"The agreement did not come as a reaction to current conditions, but was built on talks that lasted for several years. It does not form blocs, meaning it is a defense agreement linked to three nations to preserve their security and stability, which will impact the security and stability of the Middle East region," he added.

He noted that the agreement "is purely defensive, meaning it is not aimed at attacking any country or harming the interests of any other country inside or outside the region, and it will not affect the various strategic relations of the three nations with other states, whether economic, military, or political."

Regarding the areas of cooperation included in the agreement, Al-Hamad said that "the basis of this defense alliance is that any attack on any country will be an attack on the remaining countries. However, it is not a matter of action and reaction; rather, when one of the attacked nations requests the preparation and assistance of the other countries in military operations and entering the war, the other nations will join it. This is similar to Article 5 of the NATO system."

As for future areas of cooperation, he expected there will be military exercises, intelligence sharing, cooperation in defense industries, research and development, military technology transfer, and raising the level of operational coordination among the armed forces of the three nations.

He stressed that most importantly, "the agreement signed today is the political and legal phase of this tripartite defense alliance."

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Gulf

Omani Analysts: Gulf, Maritime Security Top Riyadh-Muscat Talks

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq at King Abdulaziz International Airport (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq at King Abdulaziz International Airport (SPA)
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Omani Analysts: Gulf, Maritime Security Top Riyadh-Muscat Talks

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq at King Abdulaziz International Airport (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq at King Abdulaziz International Airport (SPA)

The visit by Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to Saudi Arabia and his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman come as the region grapples with significant developments, prompting its leaders to consult and coordinate to bolster regional and international security and stability.

Omani experts and writers say the timing gives the visit exceptional weight. An escalating US-Iranian confrontation and growing risks in the Strait of Hormuz have pushed Gulf security, energy market stability, and international shipping to the top of the global political and economic agenda.

Experts speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat said the talks could open the way for broader Saudi-Omani coordination to support settlement efforts.

Such coordination would draw on Muscat’s channels with the parties to the crisis and Riyadh’s regional and international clout, potentially leading to more durable arrangements for maritime security and the wider Gulf security architecture.

Al-Araimi: Critical timing

Omani political and strategic affairs writer and researcher Mohammed al-Araimi said the visit came “at a critical time, not only for Omani-Saudi relations but also because of the dangerous and rapidly unfolding political and security developments in the region.”

Relations between the two countries “have long rested on a solid foundation of mutual respect and shared interests,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“There is also growing recognition of the importance of coordination between them amid the transformations taking place in the region and the world.”

Al-Araimi said the visit’s significance extended beyond bilateral ties to the wider Gulf and region.

“This is a critical stage in which the region needs more consultation and dialogue, not more tension and escalation,” he said.

Political, security and economic issues would feature prominently in the talks, he added, led by regional developments, the future of Gulf security and the security of shipping and energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Al-Araimi said Oman’s mediation between the United States and Iran would be a particular focus.

The issue would be on the agenda because of Muscat’s contacts and efforts “to contain the dangerous escalation between the two sides, open paths for constructive dialogue and strengthen the foundations of trust between the warring parties,” he said.

Al-Araimi called navigation through the Strait of Hormuz “one of the most sensitive issues.”

“It will be resolved because it does not concern one country or the Gulf region alone. It concerns global economic security and international trade and energy flows,” he said.

“Protecting the strait and ensuring the smooth flow of shipping through it are therefore shared interests of every country in the region and the international community.”

Al-Araimi recalled Oman’s position that the strait and the region must not be allowed to become arenas for confrontation or tools of political conflict.

“Stability in Hormuz cannot be achieved through escalation,” he said. “It can only be achieved through understandings, guarantees and dialogue among the parties concerned.”

Al-Shaidi: Regional security

Asim al-Shaidi, editor-in-chief of Oman newspaper, said Sultan Haitham’s visit to Saudi Arabia came “at an extremely sensitive moment for the entire Gulf.”

“The war between the United States and Iran has made questions of regional security more urgent,” Al-Shaidi told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“It has shown that any major confrontation in the region quickly spreads beyond the immediate parties, affecting shipping, energy, Gulf economies and global supply chains.”

The visit’s importance, therefore, went beyond bilateral ties, he said.

“Oman and Saudi Arabia view the crisis from different but complementary positions,” Al-Shaidi said.

“Oman directly overlooks the Strait of Hormuz, maintains open political channels with Iran and the United States, and is playing a role in seeking a settlement. Saudi Arabia is the Gulf’s largest economic and political power and one of the world’s leading energy producers. Any prolonged disruption in Hormuz, therefore, directly affects its security and interests.”

Al-Shaidi said the meeting offered a chance to coordinate on moving the region from managing crises after they erupt to building security arrangements that prevent them from recurring.

“The past few months have shown that Gulf security cannot remain hostage to military deterrence alone,” he said.

“The region needs clearer rules for managing disputes, protecting maritime passages, and preventing them from becoming instruments of pressure during conflicts.”

The recent Saudi-Omani rapprochement gives the consultations added importance, Al-Shaidi said.

“There is now a greater scope for joint political, economic, and security action between Muscat and Riyadh,” he said.

“I believe the current circumstances are pushing both countries to use this relationship to formulate a broader Gulf approach to the future of regional security.”

Al-Shaidi said Iran and the future of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz would undoubtedly top the talks because they had effectively become a single issue.

A durable settlement to the war was impossible while Hormuz remained an arena of confrontation, he said. At the same time, normal shipping could not easily resume without a political settlement that eased the conflict between Washington and Tehran.

“What is important about Oman’s recent efforts is that they have moved beyond traditional political mediation toward building practical arrangements on the ground,” Al-Shaidi said.

“Recent Omani-Iranian consultations addressed a temporary shipping corridor, mine clearance, and future arrangements for managing maritime traffic and exchanging information and navigational and security services.”

That is where Saudi Arabia assumes particular importance, he said.

“Any long-term arrangement in Hormuz requires broad regional acceptance,” Al-Shaidi said. “It cannot be seen merely as a bilateral understanding between Oman and Iran.”

“Saudi Arabia, alongside the other Gulf states, is a central party to any future vision for the security of maritime passages and energy supplies.”

Al-Shaidi said Riyadh was likely to hear a detailed Omani assessment of Muscat’s contacts with Tehran and Washington during the visit.

The two sides were also likely to discuss guarantees to make any shipping agreement sustainable and prevent any party from using the strait as a tool of political or military pressure, he added.

The deeper question raised by the visit could be “the future of the Gulf security order after the war,” Al-Shaidi said.

“The crisis has shown that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be both an artery of the global economy and an open arena for settling political conflicts,” he said.

A durable settlement would have to combine three elements: respect for the sovereignty and rights of coastal states, guarantees of freedom of navigation under international law, and the involvement of regional countries in shaping arrangements that directly affect their security.

Al-Muharrami: Maritime security

Omani political writer Zakariya al-Muharrami pointed to the “serious security and economic challenges caused by the US-Iranian war” and “Iranian aggression against neighboring countries.”

The situation required “concerted efforts, coordinated positions and renewed strategic cooperation between the two largest countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Al-Muharrami said the conflict over the Strait of Hormuz required more than channels of communication with Tehran. It also required a regional power with considerable influence in Washington.

“With its political and economic weight, Saudi Arabia is best placed to perform this role alongside Oman and help bridge the differences between the two warring parties,” he said.

Saudi Arabia’s location and size also make it a strategic logistics corridor sought by Gulf countries, Iraq and the Levant as a route around the bottleneck of the Strait of Hormuz, Al-Muharrami said.

“Oman’s location on the Arabian Sea supports this anticipated Saudi role,” he added.

He also cited the “Makkah defense alliance” between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, which Oman views as the nucleus of Islamic defense cooperation that could protect the region’s security.

Al-Muharrami said the meeting between the Omani sultan and the Saudi crown prince would address all these issues.

“Its results will have far-reaching consequences, not only for the current regional crisis but also for shaping a road map for the region’s security and logistics architecture,” he said.

Al-Azri: Joint efforts to halt escalation

Omani writer and former head of the Oman News Agency Ibrahim al-Azri said Sultan Haitham’s visit to Saudi Arabia was “extremely important, particularly because of its timing.”

“The region is witnessing major developments and repercussions because of tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the war being waged by the United States against Iran,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Al-Azri said an agreement between the two sides could spare Gulf countries and the wider region from consequences more severe than those already experienced.

“Continued attacks and exchanges of strikes would worsen security and economic conditions in the Gulf Cooperation Council states, the region and the entire world,” he said.

Oman and Saudi Arabia have extensive experience dealing with the crises that have swept the region over the past 30 years, Al-Azri said.

“They are pivotal countries with an active regional and international presence,” he said.

“The meeting between Sultan Haitham and the Saudi crown prince will undoubtedly produce results because both countries understand the gravity of what is happening.”

Al-Azri said Oman and Saudi Arabia had taken clear positions on the war. Both have called for de-escalation and a return to diplomatic dialogue and understanding between the United States and Iran, whether over Tehran’s nuclear program or the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Delaying solutions to the Strait of Hormuz crisis could have severe repercussions in the coming days,” he said.

Al-Azri said the current situation was delivering powerful shocks to Gulf Cooperation Council economies.

Saudi Arabia and Oman were also making major efforts to maintain supply chains and keep oil shipments flowing to countries importing crude from Oman, Saudi Arabia and the other Arab Gulf states, he added.

Gulf

Saudi Crown Prince, Greek PM Discuss Bilateral Ties

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs a cabinet meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs a cabinet meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince, Greek PM Discuss Bilateral Ties

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs a cabinet meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs a cabinet meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received on Tuesday a telephone call from Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss bilateral relations between their countries.

They explored ways to support and strengthen cooperation across various fields.

The two leaders also reviewed several issues of common interest.

Gulf

Crown Prince and Sultan of Oman Review Bilateral Relations and Regional Developments

The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations - SPA
The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations - SPA
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Crown Prince and Sultan of Oman Review Bilateral Relations and Regional Developments

The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations - SPA
The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations - SPA

Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, met on Tuesday in Jeddah with Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik, SPA reported.

The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and explored promising opportunities to strengthen cooperation across various fields.

The two leaders also discussed recent developments in the Middle East and ongoing efforts to maintain regional security and stability.