Pakistan and Saudi Arabia complete ratification of Makkah defence pact as Turkey proceeds

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, pledging collective defence against external aggression. According to a Foreign Office spokesperson, Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have already concluded their ratification procedures, while Turkiye is advancing its own legal steps, having recently presented the pact to its parliament. The agreement, which treats an attack on one signatory as an attack on all, is framed as defensive and consistent with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

It has become particularly relevant following a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, prompting Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations to promise any required assistance. Officials stressed that the pact contains no hidden clauses and that any activation will be decided jointly by the three partners after an objective assessment of the situation.