The pact combines Saudi Arabia’s oil wealth with Turkey’s vast armed forces and Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump has welcomed a new collective defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, calling the pact a major step toward greater security and stability in the Middle East.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed in Mecca on Aug. 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, deepening ties between three of the world’s largest Islamic countries.
“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” Trump said in an Aug. 16 post on Truth Social.
“It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way.”
He added in all caps, “This is a big, bold, and important first step.”
The agreement commits the three Islamic powers to regard an armed attack against any one of them as an attack against all three.
The pact draws together Saudi Arabia’s oil wealth and regional military strength, Turkey’s vast armed forces, and Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities.
Sharif thanked Trump for his support and said the three countries would seek to bolster security beyond their own borders.
“Together with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkiye, Pakistan will continue to play a constructive role in ensuring the defence of our own countries as well as the entire region,” Sharif said in a post on X.
The Pakistani leader also credited Trump with helping to avert what he called a potential “nuclear catastrophe” in South Asia, a likely reference to the president’s role in de-escalating the 2025 conflict between Pakistan and India, both of which have atomic weapons in their arsenals.
Pact Described as Defensive
The language of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement closely mirrors the collective-defense language contained in Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which obliges signatories to treat an attack on one as an attack on all.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the agreement was intended to strengthen collective deterrence, improve defense cooperation, and promote regional peace and stability “in pursuit of a secure and prosperous future.”
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly said the pact was the result of years of negotiations and would help the three countries develop joint defense capabilities, improve military readiness, and integrate their responses to shared threats.
Krimly stressed that the agreement was defensive and did not represent an attempt to create a military axis, a sectarian bloc, or a nuclear arms arrangement.
“It does not constitute a threat to the security of any country in the region, nor does it represent an escalation of tensions between any two states,” he said.
By Tom Ozimek
