Pakistan Joins Emergency Makkah Defence Alliance Meeting

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Riyadh for an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on Monday, October 5, 2026. The meeting was convened following intensified Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including an Aramco facility south of Riyadh.

Dar had arrived in Madina earlier on Monday, where he paid his respects at the Prophet’s Mosque and offered prayers before proceeding to Riyadh. There, he was joined by Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. Last week, Dar had confirmed the emergency meeting would focus on recent Houthi aggression after stating Saudi Arabia had faced 17 to 18 attacks.

The gathering follows a weekend of escalated hostilities. Yemen’s Saudi-led coalition government launched a major military campaign on Sunday to recapture territory held by the Houthis, who responded by attacking Saudi targets. The foes have traded strikes since the Houthis seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb strait. The Houthis have carried out repeated attacks against Saudi airports, energy facilities, and vessels since announcing a naval blockade on the Kingdom in July 2026.

High-level delegation shows strategic commitment

The Pakistani delegation was joined by respective Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Defence, and Chiefs of General Staff from Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Türkiye. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler, and Chief of the General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu attended. The high-level participation reaffirmed collective defence obligations under the pact, which stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all.

Pakistan's Foreign Office stated the participation "signified its ‘resolve to continue contributing towards regional peace and stability’". Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had earlier reiterated that Pakistan would stand by Saudi Arabia against any threat, stating any enemy of Saudi Arabia is an enemy of Pakistan. Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan would go to "any extent" to defend the Gulf state, adding that Islamabad’s commitment is unconditional.

Framework of the Makkah Defence Alliance

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye on August 7, 2026, in Makkah. The pact, later named the Makkah Defence Alliance, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empower signatory states to treat an attack against one as an attack against all. Its governing body is the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC).

The first SPDC meeting was held in Istanbul on August 31, where it was decided the alliance’s secretariat would be initially headed by Pakistan for three years. Retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood was appointed as the first secretary general. On September 25, the military chiefs of Pakistan, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia met in Riyadh for urgently convened talks under the pact.

The emergency meeting in Riyadh focused on operationalizing the collective deterrence framework and coordinating responses to the recent security escalations. It also reviewed ongoing cooperation among member states. Accounts indicate Riyadh was preparing a major offensive aimed at regaining control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The alliance’s secretariat, initially headed by Pakistan for three years as decided in the first SPDC meeting, will continue to coordinate defence planning among the three states.