Summary Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye will hold an emergency defence meeting in Riyadh to discuss regional security, Yemen tensions and stronger military cooperation under the Makkah accord.
ISLAMABAD (Zeeshan Yousafzai) - An emergency meeting of the Strategic, Political and Defence Committee under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement will be held in Riyadh today. Officials from Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia will participate in the meeting.
The meeting will be held in a 3+3 format, with the foreign ministers, defence ministers and chiefs of the armed forces of all three countries participating.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif and the Chief of Army Staff & Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Munir to attend the Meeting of the committee, Foregin office spokesperson said in press release.
The meeting will discuss latest developments in the region and review ongoing cooperation under the framework of the Makkah Agreement. Pakistan’s participation in the meeting signifies Pakistan's resolve to continue contributing towards regional peace and stability, MoFA spokesperson added.
The meeting has been convened as an emergency session because the regular meeting scheduled under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is expected to be held at the end of October or the beginning of November.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed this during a press conference yesterday. He said that an emergency meeting was being convened in Riyadh primarily due to the current situation involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
The Pakistani foreign minister said the meeting was being called after 17 drone attacks were carried out against Saudi Arabia between September 21 and 22, with the aim of finding a way forward and addressing the situation.
The secretariat of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement has been established in Riyadh and is currently operational. The agreement's first Secretary-General has also been appointed from Pakistan.
Pakistan has appointed two officers to support the mechanism — one from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and another from the military side. Both officers are continuing their work according to the agreed schedule.
According to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar the two officers have also visited Saudi Arabia and are continuing their work. They are coordinating with senior Saudi and Turkish officials to make the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement fully operational. The process is expected to take at least one year.
According to the scheduled timeline the next regular meeting will be held at the end of October or the beginning of November as confirmed by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued an official press release yesterday, confirming that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the Turkish Defence Minister and the Chief of the Turkish General Staff will participate in the committee meeting.
In August 2026, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan have signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, committing the three countries to enhance collective security, strengthen defence cooperation and promote peace and stability in the region and beyond.
The agreement was signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, held at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah on August 7, 2026, following a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Last month, senior military commanders from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye have agreed to deepen defence cooperation and intelligence sharing following attacks targeting the holy city of Makkah and Saudi civilian and economic infrastructure.
The meeting of the chiefs of defence forces and chiefs of general staff of the countries party to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was held in Riyadh on Friday, according to a statement from Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The commanders reviewed the security situation and threats facing Saudi Arabia and "strongly resented" the attacks targeting Makkah and civilian and economic infrastructure, the statement said.
They also praised the Saudi armed forces for what they described as their vigilance and professionalism in protecting civilians and safeguarding the kingdom's security.
The three countries discussed measures to strengthen cooperation among their armed forces, including intelligence sharing, military coordination and the integration of military capabilities, ISPR said.
The commanders also reaffirmed longstanding ties and mutual trust between the three countries, saying the Riyadh meeting reflected the strength of their defence partnership.
