The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement of 7 August 2026 formalises collective-defence cooperation among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, reflecting a regional shift toward greater self-reliance amid uncertain external security guarantees.

Its potential strength stems from strategic complementarity—Saudi financial and energy resources, Pakistani military experience and nuclear capability, and Turkish defence-industrial and technological capacity—reinforced by a geographic arc spanning South Asia, the Gulf and the eastern Mediterranean.

For the pact to move beyond symbolism into credible deterrence, the three states must develop concrete mechanisms for consultation, joint exercises, intelligence sharing, industrial co-production and crisis response, while keeping the arrangement defensive rather than confrontational.

On August 7, 2026, the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, which could be viewed as a more than just a diplomatic gesture in the future. It is a move by three key regional powers to establish a more formalized security pact, from what is essentially an informal political and military alliance. The deal is based on “collective defence” principle with an armed attack against one of the three states would be considered as an attack against the three states, the Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. It also encourages increased cooperation of defence forces of the signatories. 

It’s a matter of timing, in part. The Middle East and surrounding countries are in a time of uncertainty about the notion of security guarantees. Many regional states have come to realize that external actors can continue to be key actors, but they can’t be managed and maintained by them forever. The Makkah agreement is thus part of a trend toward strategic responsibility in the region. Iran is an exception in this respect. The new deal was publicly announced in Tehran as a step that could be in line with increasing regional self-reliance, as long as it is not in the path of confrontation, but is ultimately in the interest of regional stability. 

The particular value of the agreement is that of the complementarity of the three countries. The capabilities that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye offer are not the same. That’s........

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