Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey Sign Mecca Joint Defense Pact to Boost Regional Security Cooperation

In late July, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, promising to defend each other if one of the countries is attacked. The signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was based on the bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which was signed in September 2025. This bilateral agreement established similar mutual defence commitments and incorporated Turkey, and was signed during a brief period of relative peace following the late-stage Iran War and the latest conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi forces in Yemen.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif jointly signed the agreement. The signing of the agreement marked a further deepening of security cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which have strengthened their bilateral relations in recent years.

The outbreak of the Iran War posed significant security challenges to the three countries. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have played a significant role on the warfront, while Turkey has continued to provide military and economic support to its partner countries opposing Iran. The signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement shows that the three countries are willing to enhance cooperation under a war scenario to face the challenges posed by Iran.

The signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement will likely raise various concerns and assessments among countries worldwide. One point of concern is whether the agreement will drive changes in the regional security landscape or issue new challenges to Iran and other Middle Eastern countries' policies.

For Taiwan, the signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement does not directly affect Taiwan's security or economic interests. However, the signing of the agreement will keep Taiwan's observers closely watching the changes in the Middle East's security landscape and encourage Taiwan to deepen its understanding of global politics and military developments.