Has the gulf’s non-aligned moment arrived with the mecca pact?

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The most consequential feature of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is not its alleged resemblance to NATO. It is not a Sunni pact either, and neither it being the first effort by Middle Eastern states to build a regional security framework.

This new security triangle represents a broader and more consequential development. As dependence on Washington loosens, the Gulf states are not simply drifting; rather, it shifted towards collective, non-aligned security mechanisms, one that potentially could inspire other heavily aligned nations that are struggling to exit the US orbit.