Top military officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye met in Riyadh on September 25 to discuss security threats facing Saudi Arabia and ways to strengthen cooperation under the newly signed Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
The meeting brought together Saudi Chief of the General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Commander of the Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and Türkiye’s Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye on August 7, 2026. Under the agreement, an armed attack against one member is to be treated as an attack against all three countries, establishing a framework for collective defence and deterrence.
During Friday’s meeting, the military chiefs reviewed the security situation and threats facing Saudi Arabia. They condemned attacks targeting Makkah and Saudi civilian and economic infrastructure and praised the Saudi Armed Forces for their vigilance and role in protecting the kingdom.
The officials also discussed measures to strengthen military cooperation. These included greater intelligence sharing, coordination between the armed forces and integration of military capabilities. They said the meeting reflected the three countries’ intention to turn the commitments under the defence agreement into practical military cooperation.
The talks come amid continuing attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement against Saudi Arabia. The recent escalation has increased attention on the new defence agreement and its ability to provide coordinated support to Saudi Arabia. Türkiye has previously said it is ready to provide military and technical support to Saudi Arabia under the agreement.
The military meeting followed discussions among the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The ministers reviewed progress in establishing the agreement’s secretariat, committees and working groups and discussed regional security issues.
Another step toward establishing the alliance came on September 23, when Pakistan appointed retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the first Secretary-General of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. He will lead the alliance’s General Secretariat, which is being established in Riyadh.
The developments mark the early stages of building the institutional structure of the trilateral defence partnership. The three countries are now working on mechanisms for coordination and cooperation as they respond to the changing security situation in the region.