Mecca defence pact faces criticism as Houthi attacks continue without joint response

After the Mecca joint defence pact was signed, the alliance was immediately questioned for its silence as the Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia’s energy facilities, including the East-West Pipeline that moves roughly 4% of the world’s oil. A senior Turkish official, speaking anonymously, explained that the treaty’s mutual-defence obligations are not yet in force because each signatory must finish domestic approval processes—Turkey and Pakistan through parliament, Saudi Arabia by royal decree.

He added that the pact is intended to become an international organisation, requiring time to set up a secretariat, appoint a secretary-general, and create interoperable defence plans, which could take years. While the three countries have begun institutional work, they have never conducted a trilateral military exercise, and no coordinated response to the recent attacks has been agreed. The official likened the pact’s consultation-based response model to NATO’s Article 5, emphasizing that an attack does not automatically trigger combat operations but rather a joint decision-making process. The alliance’s long-term goal is to build deterrence that can de-escalate future threats such as Houthi raids or regional conflicts.