- Ghayas Uddin
- October 6, 2026
What the Makkah pact’s troop deployment in Saudi Arabia means for Pakistan
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- WEB DESK
- October 6, 2026
The Makkah defence alliance of Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia has decided to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia immediately, after an emergency meeting strongly condemned attempts to target Makkah, Madina and other Saudi areas.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the three countries affirmed that the security of each member is an integral part of the collective security of all three.
What the pact says
The agreement, reached in Makkah on August 7 this year, provides that aggression against any one member will be treated as aggression against all three.
In the days that followed, Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized a stretch of the Red Sea coast, disrupting oil supplies through the Bab al-Mandab strait, and attacked several Saudi cities, including Makkah and Madinah. Pakistan strongly condemned the attacks, saying every one of its people would be ready to give their lives for the Haramain Sharifain.
As the attacks intensified, the Saudi-led coalition launched a major military operation against the Houthis. According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia provided air support to the Yemeni army, which says the aim is to recover Houthi-held territory.
A day after the operation began, the alliance’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee held an emergency meeting and decided to deploy combat assistance and troops for Saudi Arabia’s defence, as provided under the agreement.
‘We are here, but Saudi forces are fighting’
Speaking on a Geo News programme, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the meeting formally approved the pact’s organisational structure. He confirmed the Saudi operations against the Houthis, saying the coalition had recovered some territory and the Houthis were currently in retreat.
He stressed that the meeting was not held for that purpose, but to give the organisational structure its formal shape.
Asked about Pakistani and Turkish participation at the “operational level”, he said: “Both countries are here, but Saudi Arabia’s own forces are fighting. We are here, and whatever help they need is being provided.”
He said Turkish and Pakistani forces were playing a support role and were involved in reconnaissance, but that Saudi forces were doing the actual fighting and retaking territory.
Saudi and Turkish statements
In a statement on X, Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said the committee affirmed the three countries’ unity and shared position in confronting “criminal aggression” against Saudi Arabia and the holy sites. He said it also reaffirmed activating collective deterrence against the aggression and all elements behind it.
Senior journalist Baqir Sajjad noted that the statement did not mention the Houthis by name, suggesting the alliance’s scope is wider than Houthi aggression alone.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the meeting discussed cooperation for Saudi Arabia’s defence as well as a peaceful, negotiated resolution of the Yemen conflict. “Saudi Arabia is genuinely taking a constructive approach,” he said.
Turkish journalist Recep Soylu pointed out that Türkiye cannot deploy troops abroad without parliamentary approval, except for military training under bilateral agreements.
US reaction
US Representative Joe Wilson said the alliance had the potential to become a “NATO of the Middle East”. He thanked Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for activating it against what he called “Iran-backed Houthi aggression”.
