Saudi Defense Minister at the First Strategic Meeting of the Mecca Agreement: We Continue to Activate Defense Integration to Support Regional Security and Stability
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz affirmed that the Kingdom is moving forward with activating the defense cooperation tracks of the Mecca Agreement with both Turkey and Pakistan, thereby enhancing political and defense integration and supporting security and stability.
Prince Khalid bin Salman chaired the Saudi delegation participating in the first meeting of the Political-Defense Strategic Committee of the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense, held yesterday in Istanbul, Turkey. The meeting was attended by their Royal Highnesses and Excellencies, the ministers of defense and foreign affairs, heads of defense forces, chiefs of general staff, and senior officials from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey.
In a statement, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the meeting discussed ways to strengthen the existing strategic partnership in light of the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense, in a manner that serves common interests and fulfills the aspirations of the leaderships of the brotherly countries. It also reviewed several topics and issues of mutual interest and adopted a number of decisions and recommendations included on the meeting’s agenda.
According to SPA, Prince Khalid bin Salman delivered a speech during the meeting, highlighting the depth of strategic relations among the three countries and emphasizing the interdependence of their security. He noted that confronting challenges and threats requires political coordination, defense integration, and collective military readiness.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir, Commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces. They reviewed prospects for military and defense cooperation between the two brotherly nations and discussed regional developments and efforts to address them, according to SPA.
The agency noted that the official Saudi delegation participating in the Istanbul meeting included: Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan; Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Faiyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili; Advisor to the Defense Minister for Intelligence Affairs, Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif; and Saudi Ambassador to Ankara, Fahd bin As’ad Abu Al-Nasr.
The Turkish delegation included: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan; Defense Minister Yasar Guler; and Chief of the General Staff, Salih Cevikoglu. The Pakistani delegation included: Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar; Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif; and Chief of the Army Staff, General Asim Munir.
The meeting addressed international security affairs and deepening cooperation in defense industries. It also discussed the strategic committee’s talks stemming from the Mecca Agreement, and enhanced counter-terrorism efforts.
The meeting examined international security issues, the development of defense capabilities, and the enhancement of interoperability among the armed forces of the three countries. It also discussed deepening cooperation in defense industries, including joint production, research and development, and strengthening joint counter-terrorism efforts.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during a press conference following the conclusion of the meeting that with the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense, a process has begun to create a new security and cooperation architecture in the region.
Fidan added, “Thanks to the Mecca Defense Alliance, we will witness growing consolidation of stability in the region and a decline in uncertainty.” He noted that the basic structure of the Mecca Defense Agreement has begun to take shape, describing the agreement as complementary to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while denying that it is directed against any specific country.
Fidan stressed that the Mecca Agreement is a historic step, pointing out that countries in the region need to move together to establish peace. He stated that the three countries joining the agreement are working on a roadmap for other nations to join the Mecca Agreement, saying, “The agreement is founded on the principle that other countries can join.”
The three nations affirmed their resolve to work together within the framework of the agreement to achieve peace and stability in the region.
Joint statement by the Strategic Committee of the Mecca Agreement for Defense: Further steps to institutionalize cooperation to ensure the effectiveness of deterrence and collective defense.
A joint statement was issued by the Political-Defense Strategic Committee of the Mecca Agreement for Collective Defense. The text is as follows:
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Defense, along with the commanders of the armed forces and chiefs of general staffs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Turkey, and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, met in Istanbul on August 31, 2026, within the framework of the Political-Defense Strategic Committee established under the Mecca Agreement for Collective Defense.
Reaffirming their commitment to fulfilling their regional responsibilities, the three nations once again affirmed their resolve to work together within the framework of the Mecca Agreement to achieve sustainable peace and stability in their region. To this end, the three nations will continue to support efforts aimed at de-escalation and restraint, thereby encouraging the peaceful resolution of crises.
The three nations agreed to take further steps to institutionalize their cooperation under the Mecca Agreement, in a manner that strengthens their solidarity, ensures the credibility and effectiveness of deterrence and collective defense, and contributes to regional efforts and cooperative security aimed at achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace.
An Secretariat, headed by a Secretary-General, will be established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support the work of the three nations under the Mecca Agreement. The Secretariat will be chaired in its initial phase by a Secretary-General from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for a term of three years.
The three nations will enhance their defense capabilities and the cohesion of their armed forces through joint exercises, underpinned by robust cooperation in the defense industry and the development of joint production and technologies.
Through the institutionalized and serious implementation of the Mecca Agreement, the three nations will make fundamental contributions to regional peace and stability.
