“The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye is expected to further enhance Pakistan’s strategic, defence and diplomatic significance in the Middle East,” said Fatima Tuz Zehra, Editor-in-Chief of The Gulf Observer and President of "The Gulf Observer Research Forum.
She noted that the agreement could also generate positive opportunities for Pakistan’s defence and arms industry, while providing Türkiye with a mechanism to strengthen the concept of collective Muslim defence cooperation.
According to Fatima Tuz Zehra, the agreement could also enable Saudi Arabia to enhance its regional influence at a time when the Kingdom is facing growing security challenges and questions surrounding the limits of existing US security guarantees.
Experts at the Atlantic Council have described the trilateral defence agreement signed in Makkah as an important indication of an emerging security alignment spanning the Middle East and South Asia.
Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three countries is to be regarded as an attack against all three, establishing a framework for collective security and mutual defence.
The agreement nevertheless represents a significant development in defence cooperation among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye and could contribute to closer strategic coordination among the three countries.
Fatima Tuz Zehra mentioned the emerging arrangement reflected the growing importance of collective security mechanisms and closer defence cooperation among Muslim-majority countries amid an increasingly complex regional security environment.
She added that the agreement could have broader implications for Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement in the Gulf and the wider Middle East, while strengthening defence and strategic ties between Islamabad, Riyadh and Ankara.
