On 7 August 2026 Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement: an attack on one is treated as an attack on all, framed as defensive. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif now says Islamabad would stand with Riyadh “practically and diplomatically” if Houthi fighting escalates. Riyadh alleges a Houthi strike on Makkah; the Houthis deny it. The FO: implement the SMDA and Makkah pact; keep operational details closed.

Deterrence is not automatic war. Yemen and the Red Sea can spill into shipping, energy, and a wider Gulf fight. Istanbul meeting (31 Aug): permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to supply the first secretary-general for three years; more defence-industry and joint tech work. Türkiye widens the map beyond a Pakistan–Saudi pair.

FO (10 Sept): expansion is not on the agenda until the three lock procedures. Author: first test is Yemen; lasting test is consult, crisis management, planning, and tech—deterrence plus restraint—not a pact that only lives in the next flare-up.

Pakistan’s relationship with Saudi Arabia has entered a new strategic phase. The signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on August 7, 2026, transformed decades of bilateral defence cooperation into a trilateral framework for collective deterrence. The agreement stipulates that an armed attack against one member will be regarded as an attack against all three, while its stated purpose is defensive and directed towards regional peace and stability.

The significance of the arrangement is now being tested sooner than might have been expected. With renewed fighting involving Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s Defence........

© Eurasia Review