Saudi Arabia, Turkey And Pakistan Defence Pact: India Closely Monitoring Development, Says MEA

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are set to sign a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday, according to Reuters, amid continuing conflict in the Middle East. The pact comes as Gulf states remain under attack from Iran following strikes by the United States and Israel.

The pact follows nearly a year of negotiations and builds on longstanding military ties among the three countries. While it further strengthens cooperation between three major Sunni Muslim powers allied with the United States, it remains unclear what commitments each country will undertake or how the pact could affect the wider crisis in the Middle East, Reuters reported.

Two regional sources with direct knowledge of the matter said the deal would be signed on Friday, a timeline later confirmed by a Turkish official. Another regional source said it was not clear whether the agreement would also be publicly announced on Friday.

The three countries share growing concerns over Middle East instability, the role of revolutionary Shi'ite Iran and an increasingly assertive Israel, while the United States continues efforts to contain regional threats, according to Reuters.

Turkey has NATO's second-largest military. Saudi Arabia, the strongest Gulf state, is home to Islam's holiest sites and is one of the world's leading oil exporters, while Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim country.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by army chief Asim Munir, arrived in Jeddah on Thursday and performed the Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan departed for Jeddah on Friday.

The two leaders will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose country has been repeatedly struck by Iran, as well as by Tehran's Houthi allies in Yemen and Shi'ite militia in Iraq, since the war began on February 28, Reuters reported.

The conflict has also exposed the security vulnerabilities of Gulf states and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas had transited before the war.

Reuters reported in January that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had said Ankara favoured a broader regional security platform to promote cooperation and stability.

An existing Saudi-Pakistani pact treats an attack on either country as an attack on both and encompasses "all military means", a Saudi official previously told Reuters. In practice, however, Pakistan has sought to avoid military involvement in the Iran war, instead opting to mediate with Tehran.

Pakistan's military and government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, the foreign ministry confirmed Sharif's visit to Saudi Arabia and described it as "consolidating" ties with the kingdom. Army chief Munir continues to shape Pakistan's foreign and security policy.

Saudi Arabia's government also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Agreement Builds On Longstanding Defence Cooperation

The Middle East has been in conflict for nearly three years since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, with nearly every country in the region experiencing cross-border attacks or missile and drone fire.

While Turkey and Pakistan, located on the borders of the Middle East, have avoided significant direct attacks, both are seeking to reduce tensions that threaten their own security and economic interests.

For Saudi Arabia, the consequences of the conflict have been more severe. The kingdom has come under attack from three directions, putting its oil exports, ambitious development plans and confidence in the long-standing US security umbrella under strain.

Signing the agreement in Mecca, Islam's holiest site, adds symbolic weight to a pact that builds on longstanding bilateral military ties among the three countries.

Pakistan has provided training and technical assistance to Saudi forces for decades, while Turkey and Pakistan have exchanged warships and training aircraft. In 2023, Riyadh agreed to buy Turkish drones in what Ankara described as its largest defence export contract.

Reuters reported in May that Pakistan deployed about 8,000 troops, fighter jets, drones and an air-defence system to Saudi Arabia during the Iran war, while pursuing broader Gulf security ties. It has also opened negotiations with Kuwait on an expanded defence pact in exchange for energy cooperation and investment, Reuters reported in July.