Mecca Alliance: Commencement of the Implementation of Military Commitments

Riyadh (Agencies): A meeting was held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, between the head of the Saudi Armed Forces and the chiefs of staff of the member states of the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense, with participation from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey. The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced that the meeting reaffirmed the shared resolve to immediately translate the commitments outlined in the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense into effective military cooperation.

The Saudi Defense Ministry stated that participants strongly affirmed their commitment to collective defense, reflecting the determination of the three nations to defend Saudi Arabia’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The chiefs of staff reviewed the security situation and threats facing the Kingdom, expressing strong condemnation of the attacks targeting the holy city of Mecca and the Kingdom’s civilian and economic infrastructure. They also praised the vigilance and professionalism of the Saudi Armed Forces in ensuring the safety of citizens and residents and the security of the Kingdom.

Participants further discussed ways to advance cooperation among the armed forces of the three countries, enhancing intelligence cooperation, military coordination, and capability integration to strengthen deterrence and collective defense. They commended the longstanding relations and mutual trust binding the peoples and armed forces of the three nations.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that “threatening the Two Holy Mosques is a red line that cannot be crossed under any circumstances.” He reaffirmed his country’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia, stating, “We stand in full solidarity with Saudi Arabia.” During his address to the UN General Assembly, Sharif called for the continued openness of the Hormuz Strait and the Bab el-Mandeb strait to maritime navigation.

In a separate development, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met in Riyadh with Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir to discuss the attacks targeting Mecca and the Kingdom’s civilian and economic facilities. Prince Khalid bin Salman announced on the X platform on Friday that he had met General Asim Munir, and they commended the outcomes of the meeting of the chiefs of staff of the Mecca Agreement member states. They also discussed the “despicable attacks” on Mecca and the Kingdom’s civilian and economic infrastructure. The Saudi Defense Minister added, “We reaffirmed our continued joint efforts to confront these attacks in accordance with the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense.”

For his part, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi expressed his “strong condemnation” of the Houthi attacks in Yemen using ballistic missiles and drones against the Riyadh and Khamis Mushait regions. He stressed that “GCC member states stand as one with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, providing full support for all measures it takes to protect its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.” Al-Budaiwi called on the international community to take a firm stance to put an end to these repeated Houthi terrorist attacks and to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions.

This comes after the Saudi-led “Coalition for Legitimacy Support in Yemen” announced yesterday that air defenses had “intercepted and destroyed two drones” launched by the Houthi group in Yemen toward the Riyadh area.

On Friday, the UN Security Council issued a joint statement, read by Jerome Bonafon, the French representative holding the council’s rotating presidency, which “strongly condemned the continued Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian infrastructure and energy facilities, which resulted in injuries to civilians, including women and children.”