Full Breakdown
Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to Hold Mecca Pact Committee Meeting in Riyadh
By Drooid · · How we work
Background & Context
- The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed on August 7, 2026 in Mecca by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The pact obliges the three states to treat an armed attack on any one as an attack on all.
- The agreement created a Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC), whose first meeting was in Istanbul on August 31, 2026. Subsequent contacts included a foreign-ministers’ meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2026, and a chiefs-of-staff meeting in Riyadh on September 25, 2026, where they condemned recent Houthi attacks.
Core Event: Riyadh Committee Meeting
- On October 4, 2026, the Turkish foreign ministry announced the SPDC will convene in Riyadh on October 5, 2026.
- Attendees include Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Güler, and Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroglu; Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar and other officials; and Saudi representatives.
- The agenda will cover recent regional developments, progress in institutionalising the alliance, work on a secretariat in Riyadh, and a proposed political engagement with Yemen’s Houthi movement.
Timeline
- August 7, 2026 – Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed.
- August 31, 2026 – First SPDC meeting in Istanbul.
- September 24, 2026 – Foreign ministers met in New York.
- September 25, 2026 – Chiefs of staff met in Riyadh, condemned Houthi attacks.
- October 4, 2026 – Announcement of Riyadh meeting.
- October 5, 2026 – Scheduled SPDC meeting in Riyadh.
Data & Statistics
- The SPDC comprises three members from each country – foreign minister, defence minister, and chief of general staff – totaling nine officials.
- Retired Pakistani Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood has been nominated as the alliance’s first secretary-general, a decision reported after the Riyadh meeting.
Official Statements & Responses
- Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar said Iran had suggested a political approach to the Houthi issue and that the SPDC would discuss it in Riyadh.
- Turkish officials are expected to reaffirm solidarity with Saudi Arabia, condemn actions targeting holy sites, and stress peaceful dispute resolution and secure trade routes.
Why It Matters
- The Riyadh gathering is the first substantive step toward operationalising the Mecca pact’s collective-defence provisions.
- Discussions on political engagement with the Houthi movement could affect security in the Red Sea corridor and Saudi internal stability.
- Establishing a secretariat in Riyadh moves the alliance toward a permanent institutional framework, enhancing coordination.
What’s Next
- The SPDC aims to finalize the secretariat’s establishment shortly after the October 5 meeting.
- Further coordination will address Houthi-related security concerns and evaluate interest from additional countries in joining the pact.