Makkah defence pact committee convenes in Riyadh today amid regional concerns

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Army Staff & Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir will visit Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today for attending the Meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC) established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

The meeting will also be attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Defence and the Chiefs of General Staff of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Republic of Tiirkiye.

The summit will assess the recent developments in the region and the continued collaboration in the context of the Makkah Agreement.

Pakistan’s participation in the meeting is a clear indication of Pakistan’s willingness to continue contributing toward regional peace and stability.

A new event in the region has come at a time of Riyadh meeting as Yemen’s president has announced a large military assault against the Houthi group.

The Yemeni president has said a large-scale military effort will be undertaken to reclaim areas now held by the Houthi group.

Developments in Yemen and the wider security context have increased the relevance of the Riyadh summit. Regional security and defence cooperation are expected to be the main topics of discussion.

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August 2026, under which the three nations committed themselves to enhancing collective security, boosting defence cooperation and promoting peace and stability in and beyond the region.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence held at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah on Aug. 7, 2026, following the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Senior military leaders from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye have agreed to enhance defence cooperation and intelligence sharing following strikes last month targeting the holy city of Makkah and Saudi civilian and industrial facilities.

The meeting of the chiefs of defence forces and chiefs of general staff of the nations parties to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was held in Riyadh on Friday, a statement from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The commanders discussed the security situation and challenges facing Saudi Arabia and “strongly condemned” the attacks targeting Makkah and civilian and commercial facilities, the statement said.

They also lauded the Saudi military forces for their vigilance and professionalism in protecting citizens and securing the kingdom’s security.

The three countries discussed ways to enhance collaboration between their armies including sharing of intelligence, military coordination and integration of military capabilities, ISPR said.

The commanders also underlined the long-standing connections and mutual trust between the three countries, adding that the Riyadh summit highlighted the strength of their defence alliance.