Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday, strengthening cooperation between three influential regional powers amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
What makes the agreement notable?
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were already bound by a joint defence agreement signed by Riyadh and Islamabad in September last year. Friday’s summit therefore marks Türkiye’s formal entry into the pact.
A major shift from earlier tensions
Pakistan refused to militarily support Saudi Arabia in 2015, while Riyadh sharply escalated its rhetoric towards Islamabad in 2020.
Regional circumstances have changed considerably since then. Pakistan has since entered a war with its nuclear-armed neighbour, while Qatar, one of the United States’ closest allies in the region, was subjected to two military strikes within a single year, one Iranian and the other Israeli.
What could Pakistan provide?
Riyadh may be placing particular value on Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella.
A senior Saudi official told Reuters that the agreement “includes all military means” when asked whether Pakistan would be obliged under the pact to provide Saudi Arabia with nuclear protection.
Saudi Arabia’s role
Saudi Arabia, which has the largest budget in the Gulf, the largest oil reserves in the region and the second-largest oil reserves globally, may primarily contribute through financial support, investment in Pakistani technological development and assistance to the Turkish economy.
Pakistan has long relied on Saudi financial support, particularly during periods of economic difficulty. Saudi oil supplies are also vital to Islamabad.
More than 2.5 million Pakistanis work in Saudi Arabia, sending remittances back to their home country.
Türkiye has also previously benefited from Saudi financial support. One of the most prominent examples came in March 2023, when the Saudi Fund for Development signed an agreement to deposit $5 billion with the Central Bank of Türkiye.
The deposit came as Türkiye was struggling with declining foreign currency reserves and a weakening lira, shortly after the February 2023 earthquake that struck the country’s south.
What could Türkiye provide?
Domestic defence industries and military technology
Türkiye is a leading manufacturer of drones, particularly Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as armoured vehicles, naval systems and advanced defence technologies.
Turkish defence company Baykar signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia in 2023 for the purchase of Turkish drones, including cooperation on technology transfer and joint production.
According to the agreement, the two sides would cooperate on technology transfer and joint production in order to strengthen their high-technology development capabilities.
Türkiye’s defence and aerospace exports reached $10.05 billion in 2025, an increase of 48 per cent year-on-year, according to the head of the Turkish Defence Industry Agency.
Türkiye supplies weapons to nearly 40 countries, primarily across the Gulf, Africa, Asia and parts of Europe. Many buyers consider Turkish weapons cheaper, faster to deliver and more adaptable than competing alternatives.
According to Reuters, Türkiye supplies around 65 per cent of the armed drones used globally and is also a major exporter of ammunition.
The country also produces, or plans to produce, frigates, an aircraft carrier, air defence systems and armoured vehicles.
Battlefield and tactical expertise
The Turkish Armed Forces, the second-largest military in NATO, bring advanced operational and military experience in modern warfare, air defence, drone tactics and electronic warfare.
Türkiye’s Defence Ministry also says the country is among the five largest contributors to the alliance.
Türkiye formally joined NATO in 1952, three years after the alliance was established in 1949 following the Second World War, with the aim of creating a collective defence system against the Soviet threat.
