ISLAMABAD: In a significant development to strengthen collective defence, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have agreed to immediately operationalise their defence commitments under the Makkah Alliance, including the provision and rapid deployment of agreed military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday, which also appointed Pakistan’s retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the Alliance’s first Secretary-General for a three-year term, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said in a statement issued here.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye convened an emergency meeting of the Strategic-Political and Defence Committee of the Makkah Alliance for Defence in Riyadh on 5 October 2026 to address the security developments and threats facing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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The Parties affirmed that the security of each Party is an integral part of the collective security of the three countries, and that translating the Makkah Agreement for Joint Defence into practical measures demonstrates the credibility of the commitment to collective defence, strengthens the effectiveness of deterrence, and reaffirms the unity and determination of our three countries to defend their security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement.
The Committee reviewed the outcomes of the political and military consultations preceding the meeting and approved the recommendations submitted to it, affirming that the Makkah Alliance for Defence embodies a firm commitment to collective defence and a unified position in confronting threats.
The Committee decided to move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defence commitments and to take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the Kingdom, in accordance with the approved arrangements and the national legislation of the Parties, thereby enhancing readiness, military integration, and the collective capacity to confront and counter threats.
As part of the institutional development of the Makkah Alliance for Defence, the Committee decided to appoint Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood (retd) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as the first Secretary-General for a three-year term. The Parties welcomed, wished him every success in the discharge of his duties, and expressed their confidence in his contribution to advancing the Alliance and achieving its objectives.
The Parties also condemned in the strongest terms the attempted targeting of Makkah and Madinah, as well as the continuing attacks targeting cities and civilian and economic facilities in the Kingdom, reaffirming their unequivocal rejection of any attack or threat against the Kingdom’s security and territorial integrity.
Pakistan and Türkiye commended the vigilance and readiness of the Saudi Armed Forces, as well as the professionalism and high level of competence they have demonstrated in countering the threats and attacks facing the Kingdom and in safeguarding its security and territorial integrity.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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