Riyadh to host Makkah alliance secretariat

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia on Monday took the first major step towards institutionalising their landmark Makkah Joint Defence Agreement by agreeing to establish a permanent secretariat in Riyadh, with Pakistan set to provide the first secretary general of the emerging trilateral arrangement, which has now been officially named the Makkah Defence Alliance.

The decision was taken at the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee established under the agreement in Istanbul, bringing together the foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs of the three countries.

Pakistan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

Türkiye was represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defence Minister Yasar Güler and Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroglu, while Saudi Arabia was represented by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili.

The meeting marked the first formal institutional engagement since Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7.

According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, a secretariat will be established in Saudi Arabia to support the functioning of the agreement. It will initially be headed by a secretary general from Pakistan for a three-year term.

The three countries also agreed to strengthen their defence capabilities and the cohesion of their armed forces through joint activities, expanded defence-industrial cooperation and joint development and production of military technology.

The move is significant because the Makkah agreement provides for collective defence, stipulating that an armed attack against one of the three countries would be considered an attack against all.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the grouping would henceforth be known as the Makkah Defence Alliance.

Fidan said the Istanbul meeting had focused on concrete measures to implement the agreement and establish its institutional structure. He confirmed that the first secretary general would come from Pakistan.

The Turkish foreign minister also sought to address speculation about the strategic intent of the new alliance, particularly concerns that it was aimed at Iran.

Fidan stressed that the alliance was not directed against any particular country, saying it was designed to contribute to regional security and stability.

He also indicated that the grouping could eventually expand, although prospective members would have to fulfil conditions and standards agreed by the three founding states.

The announcement is particularly noteworthy given Türkiye's membership of NATO. Fidan has previously stressed that the Makkah arrangement would not undermine Ankara's existing international commitments.

The joint statement issued after the Istanbul meeting similarly portrayed the alliance as a mechanism for regional stability rather than confrontation. The three countries reiterated their determination to work together for sustainable peace and stability and pledged to support de-escalation and restraint in regional crises.

They said the institutionalisation of the agreement would strengthen their solidarity and ensure the credibility and effectiveness of their collective deterrence and defence.

For Pakistan, the decision to appoint the first secretary general from its ranks gives Islamabad an important role in shaping the alliance's emerging institutional framework.

The agreement could also provide a new platform for defence-industrial cooperation among the three countries. Pakistan and Türkiye already maintain extensive military cooperation, while Saudi Arabia has been seeking to expand its indigenous defence-production capabilities.

The emphasis on joint technology development and production therefore potentially opens the way for trilateral defence projects, although the Istanbul meeting did not announce specific programmes.

The immediate challenge will be to translate the political commitment into operational mechanisms, including coordination procedures, joint exercises, interoperability, intelligence-sharing and arrangements for responding to a military attack against any member.

The creation of a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia is the first concrete institutional mechanism agreed under the pact and is likely to serve as the administrative hub for implementing decisions taken by the three countries.

The Istanbul meeting therefore moved the Makkah agreement beyond its original political symbolism and towards a structured defence partnership.

For Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, the next phase will be to demonstrate whether the alliance can develop into an effective collective-security mechanism while maintaining its stated objective of promoting regional stability and avoiding alignment against any particular state.