Riyadh Confirms the Pivotal Role of the 'Mecca Alliance' in Regional Stability
The Saudi Cabinet reaffirms the role of the Mecca Alliance in regional stability and supports mediation efforts.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
“WAS”, “Al Arabiya Net” – The Saudi Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, affirmed the “pivotal role” of the Mecca Agreement countries in consolidating regional security and stability, and in supporting mediation efforts undertaken by Qatar and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions, as well as backing all initiatives aimed at achieving peace.
The Cabinet discussed the substance of talks held on Monday between countries of the “Mecca Pact for Joint Defense” and senior Iranian officials, and reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to establishing security and stability, both regionally and internationally.
Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari, in a statement relayed by the official “WAS News Agency” following the session held in Riyadh, clarified that the Cabinet “commended the high capabilities of air defense systems and their ability to thwart repeated attempts by the terrorist Houthi militia to target Mecca, Medina, and several cities and facilities across the Kingdom.”
He expressed “condemnation of those criminal attacks as a serious aggression against the sovereignty of the Kingdom and the sanctity of Islamic holy sites, and as a blatant violation of the sentiments of Muslims worldwide,” while reaffirming the Kingdom’s legitimate right to resolutely defend the security of the Two Holy Mosques, their visitors, citizens, and residents.
The Cabinet highlighted that the localization rate of military spending in the Kingdom reached 27.3 percent by the end of 2025, surpassing the annual target of 24 percent, with local content increasing to 40.9 percent. This reflects the sufficiency of national capabilities and supports integrated cooperation between the public and private sectors, and continuous progress toward localizing more than 50 percent of total military spending by 2030.
In a related development, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, in an interview with Geo News channel, stated that enhancing Saudi defenses is a duty for Pakistan.
He said his country would stand by Saudi Arabia in participating in intercepting attacks or assaults targeting the Kingdom, emphasizing that contributing to strengthening Saudi air defenses is no less important to Islamabad than defending Pakistani territory.
The defense minister noted that his country is committed to its joint defense obligations with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, clarifying that the three countries agreed to support each other’s security and territorial integrity in the event any of them faces external aggression.
On the ground, Yemeni government forces announced on Monday evening that they achieved field progress west of the besieged city of Taiz, backed by popular resistance, following an attack on Houthi militia positions with support from combat aircraft.
