ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) Makkah Joint Defence Agreement: Alliance is the need of the hour

ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) The first formal meeting of the High-Level Strategic Political and Defence Committee, established under the historic “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement” recently signed by Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, was held in Istanbul.
More important and in-depth facts have emerged regarding the internal details and strategic features of this meeting, which will completely change the defense landscape of the Muslim Ummah and the region.
According to senior analyst Asghar Ali Mubarak, the most important details of this historic alliance cover strategic points:
The strategic formula of the “Islamic NATO” and the iron wall;..
According to the meeting’s internal documents, the most important clause of the Makkah Agreement is the mutual defense guarantee.
The principle of collective defense:
Like Article 5 of NATO, the basic principle of this alliance is that armed or external aggression against any of the three countries will be considered an attack on all three countries.
Regional Balance of Power: The agreement will act as a deterrence shield to address emerging security challenges and power gaps in the Gulf and South Asia, which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has described as an “iron wall” for the defense of the Muslim Ummah.
Defense Industry and Joint Production Roadmap.
The biggest and most practical breakthrough of the meeting was on the transfer and joint production of defense technology. Joint strengths of the three countries: Under this strategic plan, Saudi Arabia’s financial and energy strength, Turkey’s advanced deep tech (including fifth-generation JET and drone technology), and Pakistan’s most experienced manpower and missile technology are being combined.
Joint Manufacturing:
Plans are being finalized to establish joint production lines in Istanbul and Kamra for the joint production of advanced military equipment, long-range drones, and modern air force equipment.
Joint Military Exercises and Intelligence Sharing.
To enhance operational coordination between the armed forces, the Chiefs of Staff of the three countries signed the following:
Joint Exercises: The land, naval and air forces of Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia will conduct joint military exercises every six months to coordinate frontline operations against common threats.
Command and Control Center: A joint intelligence-sharing network will be established for immediate exchange of information regarding terrorism, cyber threats and maritime security.
Diplomatic Front: Emphasizing the importance of this alliance, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif clarified that this strategic brotherhood does not have aggressive intentions against any third country, but is purely for the common prosperity, economic survival and security of Muslim countries. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, while calling this alliance the need of the hour, said: “The strategic partnership of Pakistan and Turkey is a guarantee of common prosperity and security. The ‘Makkah Agreement’ has confirmed the strategic brotherhood of the two brotherly countries. This agreement firmly connects Pakistan and Turkey with Saudi Arabia, and paves the way for our common security and defense strength.” The Prime Minister further said that this trilateral alliance will prove to be an iron wall against any external aggression and will make the defense of the Muslim Ummah impregnable. A very influential and high-ranking delegation from Pakistan attended this inaugural meeting in Istanbul. Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, led Pakistan in military affairs. Political and diplomatic leadership: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif represented Pakistan on the political and strategic front. Top leadership from the host country Turkey and strategic partner Saudi Arabia also participated in the meeting. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, and Chief of General Staff represented their country. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Saudi military chiefs also became part of this most important consultative process. During the meeting, the leaders of the three countries discussed in detail the changing security situation in the region and defense cooperation. International security, emerging security challenges in the region and globally, and ‘International Security Affairs’ were on the agenda of the meeting. Joint military exercises and training programs were agreed upon to increase operational coordination between the armies of Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The three countries reiterated their commitment to develop their defense and strategic capabilities on modern lines to deal with common threats. The most important decision of the meeting was to deepen cooperation in the defense industry. Under this, joint production and manufacturing plans for modern military equipment, drone technology, and other defense equipment will be finalized. It may be recalled that earlier, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had signed a defense agreement under which an attack on any one of the countries would be considered an attack on the other. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the defense agreement. The Foreign Office spokesperson said that under the Makkah Agreement, an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three, and Pakistan has already made it clear that the Makkah Defense Agreement is also open to other countries.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi had said in response to a question at the weekly news briefing on August 27 that the Makkah Agreement is a defense framework aimed at preserving peace and promoting stability in the region. “As an evolving security structure, the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement is also open to those countries that agree with its commitment to collective responsibilities and shared security interests.” The spokesperson said that any formal request would be considered after consulting with its partners in Riyadh and Ankara. ‘However, the process of implementing the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is still in its early stages.’ The agreement aims to strengthen the collective defense capability against any aggression, and defense cooperation between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will be promoted. Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia signed the Joint Defense Agreement in Mecca on August 7, 2026. The main objective of this agreement is to strengthen the collective defense capability of the three countries and organize cooperation against any possible aggression. According to the key clause of the agreement, an armed attack on any of the three countries will be considered an attack on all three countries. This clause is similar to NATO’s Article 5 regarding the concept of collective defense, although the Mecca Agreement is not a replacement for NATO. This new defense framework has emerged at a time when tensions in the Middle East have increased, and the conflict over Iran has raised new concerns about the security of the region. The three countries, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, are directly affected by the changing security situation in the region, but the three also have their own regional priorities and existing defense partnerships. That is why the Istanbul meeting is being considered important in terms of the extent to which the three countries translate the new agreement into practical defense cooperation. The ideological basis of the ‘Makkah Agreement’ signed between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey is based on two principles: ‘collective security’ to create conditions conducive to peace, stability and a prosperous future; and ‘collective deterrence’ to protect against any act of aggression. To implement these two principles, the three parties to the agreement agreed to expand ‘all aspects of defense cooperation’. The contracting countries have made it clear that this is a defense agreement and its purpose is to deter anyone who plots aggression against any of the three countries. In this context, aggression means the violation of the territorial integrity of a country through the use of armed force. Is this a new means of dominating the region? Since this agreement is based on collective security, its structure is not hegemonic. In fact, it is an indication that no single country should aspire to dominate West Asia. In this sense, the Makkah Agreement negates the notion of Western hegemony and dominance. For more than four decades, the United States has been the most dominant power in the region. After the recent US-Iran war, questions have been raised about the US’s ability and credibility to provide military security to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Saudi Arabia has been looking for alternative arrangements for some time. It normalized relations with Iran in 2023 through Chinese mediation, refused to sign the ‘Abraham Accords’, and signed a strategic mutual defense agreement with Pakistan on September 17, 2025. Pakistan became a preferred choice for Saudi Arabia because Pakistan had demonstrated its ability to defend itself against its much larger and more hostile neighbor, India, in May 2025. The Makkah Agreement is an expanded version of the Pak-Saudi agreement with the inclusion of Turkey. The Iranian government has declared that it is not threatened by the ‘Makkah Agreement’ because it reinforces the concept of regional security through regional countries rather than external elements like the United States. President Trump has also welcomed the agreement and called it a process of ‘burden sharing’. Only Israel, which has pursued a policy of dominance and hegemony and has ambitions to expand its territory to Gaza, the West Bank, the Syrian Golan Heights, and even southern Lebanon, is worried about this issue. The Makkah Agreement is a clear message to Israel that it can no longer be the future dominant power in the region. Since the agreement is based on the concept of collective security, it would be beneficial for Iran and other countries in the region to join this trilateral agreement at the appropriate time.As for the second pillar of the Makkah Agreement, namely ‘collective deterrence’, its concept is also derived from recent history. During the Cold War, thinkers were concerned about the increase in nuclear tensions between the great powers; therefore, they proposed the concept of collective defense balance, pointing out that before committing aggression, the aggressor state should take into account the heavy losses that would result from retaliation, which would be much more serious than the potential benefits gained from this aggression. The principle of collective deterrence of the Makkah Agreement is a clear message to any potential aggressor that its aggression may result in an unacceptable price for retaliation. The current world order is falling into disarray; therefore, there is an urgent need to rebuild international relations based on collective security and mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. It is now becoming clear that whatever ultimately happens in West Asia will also determine the shape of the future world order. The Makkah Agreement differs from NATO in that it is not a formal military alliance, nor is it an offensive agreement. It is also not a ‘Muslim bloc’, as it only includes countries in the region.