Saudi Arabia · GEOPOLITICS
Key Facts
—The signing: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on Friday, 7 August 2026, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
—The core pledge: The joint statement said any armed attack against one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all, framing the pact as purely defensive.
—Negotiation timeline: Reuters reported the pact followed nearly a year of negotiations, with Pakistan’s defence-production minister confirming a draft existed in January 2026 after about 10 months of talks.
