Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a defence cooperation agreement in Mecca on Tuesday, a move described by the three governments as a "Nato‑style" partnership that obliges each to treat an attack on one as an attack on all. The pact arrives as Houthi missile and drone strikes have intensified across Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea, threatening commercial shipping and critical infrastructure.
The agreement mirrors NATO's Article 5 collective defence clause and sets out joint military exercises, intelligence sharing and coordinated air‑defence planning. It also opens the door to joint procurement of weapons systems and the establishment of a trilateral command centre to oversee operations.
Supporters say the pact fills a security gap left by the limited reach of existing alliances, giving Pakistan a foothold in Middle Eastern defence cooperation while bolstering Saudi and Turkish capabilities against regional threats.
Critics warn the arrangement could inflame tensions with Iran, which views the three states as adversaries, and may complicate the United States' own security commitments in the region. The pact also raises questions about the diffusion of NATO‑style structures outside the alliance.
Both Riyadh and Ankara said the deal will be formalised in the coming weeks, with a summit planned to detail implementation steps. Observers will watch how the pact interacts with existing US‑Saudi and US‑Turkey security arrangements and whether it reshapes regional defence dynamics.