Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey have agreed to “activate collective defense commitments amid ongoing threats,” Saudi Arabia’s Arab News said on October 6.
This is an important step. The new alliance has emerged over the last several months. The Houthi offensive in September in Yemen presented the offensive with its first major test. This is because the Houthis launched missiles at Saudi Arabia and harmed Saudi citizens.
Arab News said that “Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey on Monday agreed to immediately implement collective-defense commitments under the previously agreed Mecca Defense Alliance, including the swift deployment of agreed forces and other military capabilities to the Kingdom amid ongoing threats.”
Saudi Arabia has been working over the last month to prepare a counter-offensive in Yemen. This came after setbacks hit the Yemeni government forces and they lost ground around the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Many observers wondered whether Pakistan and Turkey would go to Riyadh’s aid. All of these countries are either close partners or allies of the US, and they have advanced military equipment. However, it was not clear that Turkey would want to get involved in a conflict in Yemen. In part, this is because Ankara tries to balance relations with Iran, with which it shares a border. Pakistan also has ties with Iran and shares a border with Iran.
Now, Turkey and Pakistan appear to be increasing support for Riyadh. “The decision was announced following an emergency meeting of the alliance’s Strategic Political and Defense Committee in Riyadh to discuss security developments and threats Saudi Arabia is facing during the regional conflict with Iran and its proxies. The alliance was formed by an agreement signed on Aug. 7,” Arab News noted.
Saudi defense minister hails collective deterrence
Saudi defense minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, wrote on X that the meeting “affirms the solidarity and unified stance of our countries in confronting the sinful aggressions that targeted the Kingdom and the Holy Sanctuaries, activating collective deterrence against these aggressions, and against all those standing behind them within the framework of the (Mecca) Defense Alliance.”
The new committee of the alliance has “reviewed the outcomes of political and military consultations and approved recommendations affirming the commitment of the alliance to collective defense and a unified response to threats.” It appears that forces with various types of unnamed capabilities will now be deployed. This could include Pakistan Air Force elements or air defenses. Similarly, Turkey could deploy defensive solutions. Intelligence and targeting is also important. Reports indicate the US has also been working closely with Saudi Arabia even though the US for now does not want to directly intervene in Yemen.
This could enable important coordination between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan and help their militaries work together and kind of streamline various processes to get the alliance off the ground. Some have argued that the Middle East could be moving toward a regional NATO. What has made NATO unique since it was founded is how the countries often train and work together. This kind of joint work can’t happen overnight. It means the Yemen conflict could help accelerate processes in real time. This will be good for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its partners.
Changing US commitments push regional powers toward deeper cooperation
In a changing world order where the US is shifting its commitments, many regional powers need to step up. All the countries in the new alliance are regional powers. Turkey, for instance, is not only in NATO but is a country with a strong defense industrial base. Pakistan has faced struggles in recent years due to instability at home and insurgent movements in places like its Baloch areas bordering Iran. Saudi Arabia, a major purchaser of American defense products, has sometimes struggled to put the pieces together in the field to achieve its goals. This was especially true in Yemen, where Riyadh has backed the government since 2015. However, its intervention in Yemen did not go as easily as planned. Iran armed the Houthis, and drones and missiles targeted Saudi Arabia.
According to Arab News, “Pakistan and Turkey commended the Saudi Armed Forces for their vigilance, state of readiness, and professional performance and efficiency in confronting threats and protecting the Kingdom.” The report added that “as part of efforts to establish the institutional structure of the alliance, the committee appointed retired Lt. Gen. Numan Mahmud of Pakistan as its first secretary-general, for a three-year term. The alliance members welcomed his appointment and expressed confidence in the contribution he would make to developing the pact and advancing its objectives.”
Defense pact shifts from agreement to operational planning
The Mecca Agreement will now need to translate into practical measures. Turkey’s TRT state media heralded the moves taking place in Saudi Arabia, noting that Turkey “was represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. The meeting comes amid renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and wider concerns over regional security.” TRT added that “Fidan said the three countries discussed steps to support Saudi Arabia's defense while also examining ways to resolve regional issues peacefully through dialogue. The alliance was established in August by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, with the three countries subsequently agreeing to build permanent institutions and strengthen collective deterrence and defense capabilities.”
Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport, in the south of the Kingdom, were subjected to “two attacks” that targeted their facilities on Monday evening.
In addition, TRT noted that “the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has carried out a targeted military operation against the Houthi movement in the Red Sea province of Hudaida, destroying naval weapons depots and thwarting planned attacks on international shipping lanes. The Yemeni army has said that government forces had seized the Dhubab district and strategic positions around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait following clashes with the Houthis.”