Makkah Pact Nations Convene in Riyadh to Address Escalating Houthi Attacks

Ministers and military commanders from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are scheduled to gather in Riyadh on Monday for high-level talks concerning the Makkah defence pact, according to announcements from Ankara and Islamabad. Defence and foreign ministers, alongside army chiefs from Turkey and Pakistan, will participate in the strategic political and defence committee meeting of the alliance.

While Saudi officials and state media have not yet provided immediate confirmation, Pakistan confirmed that its delegation will meet with their counterparts in the capital. The discussions unfold amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel, as well as persistent ballistic missile and drone assaults by Iran-backed Houthi rebels targeting Saudi Arabia and its energy infrastructure.

A Pakistani Foreign Ministry official briefed on the matter stated that addressing the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia will be a primary focus of the meeting. The talks, slated to begin in the late afternoon, will also review the progress made in the alliance's institutionalisation efforts following its inaugural meeting in August in Istanbul, the Turkish statement noted.

Pakistan's participation underscores its commitment to fostering regional peace and stability. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar shared updates and photos on X from Madinah before traveling to Riyadh for the summit. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey originally established the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August to bolster regional security amidst ongoing Middle Eastern conflicts.

The Saudi kingdom actively supports Yemen's internationally recognised government in its ongoing struggle against the Houthis. Recently, Rashad Al Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, announced the initiation of military operations to retake territory controlled by the rebel group, which has recently captured the Bab Al Mandeb strait and a significant portion of the Red Sea coastline.

Although the exact text of the Makkah pact remains confidential, the initial joint statement indicated the agreement is designed to enhance collective deterrence. Functioning similarly to Nato's Article 5, the pact dictates that an aggression against one member nation is regarded as an attack on all three. This coalition unites nuclear-armed Pakistan, major oil exporter Saudi Arabia, and Nato member Turkey, which seeks to expand its domestic defence manufacturing and military cooperation.