Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan to Sign Landmark Defense Pact in Jeddah

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Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are scheduled to sign a joint defence agreement in Jeddah on Friday, according to sources close to the Saudi military and government. The move comes as the three countries deepen security cooperation amid heightened regional tensions linked to the ongoing US-Iran conflict.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Red Sea city to formalise the agreement. Sharif and Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, arrived in the kingdom on Thursday for a visit lasting until Saturday. Erdoğan is due on Friday, according to the Turkish presidency.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed the visit runs from 6 to 8 August and described it as carrying significance beyond the immediate crisis.

Sources said the pact had been under discussion for a long time but was accelerated by recent developments. “It was under discussion for a long time, but the latest developments in the region expedite it,” one source told AFP on condition of anonymity. A second source close to the Saudi government independently confirmed the Friday signing.

The agreement is expected to cover areas such as joint military exercises, intelligence sharing and broader defence industry cooperation. It builds on, but remains separate from, the bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in September 2025. That earlier pact drew attention because Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority state.

Regional context is critical. The US-Iran war has drawn in Gulf states, disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, and raised broader security concerns across the Middle East. Pakistan has sought to play a mediating role in efforts to end the US-Iran conflict, while Turkey has been involved in diplomatic efforts related to Gaza. Months of speculation had already surrounded the possibility of a wider strategic alignment involving the three countries.

The Jeddah meeting therefore marks a concrete step in formalising closer military and strategic ties at a moment of significant regional instability. Full details of the new trilateral pact have not yet been made public.

READ MORE: Mock dogfight erupts amid Turkish airspace violations over Aegean.

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