FM Dar arrives in Riyadh for Makkah defence pact meeting: FO
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Riyadh on Monday to attend a meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC), the Foreign Office said.
On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye formalised their longstanding strategic relationship through the newly signed Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), a trilateral security framework that its proponents describe as a defensive arrangement aimed at strengthening collective deterrence, enhancing military cooperation and promoting regional stability.
According to a post on X, “Upon arrival, the DPM/FM was received by Major General Othman Al-Zahrani of the Saudi Armed Forces, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq, and Mr Haitham, Protocol Officer at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh.”
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 arrived in Riyadh today to attend the meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC).
Upon arrival, the DPM/FM was received by Major General Othman Al-Zahrani of the Saudi Armed… pic.twitter.com/DgXkjD83jA
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 5, 2026
In an earlier statement, the FO said that FM Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Chief of Defence Forces Field and Chief of Army Staff Marshal Asim Munir travelled to Riyadh to attend a meeting of the SPDC established under the MJDA.
According to the FO, the delegation is due to attend the meeting in the Saudi capital on October 5. The meeting will also be attended by the “respective Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Defence, as well as Chiefs of General Staff” of Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
🔊 PR No. 2️⃣7️⃣3️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
Curtain Raiser: Meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC) under the Makkah Agreement
🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NNFmZmSQoS
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 5, 2026
Pakistan’s participation in the meeting “signifies Pakistan’s resolve to continue contributing towards regional peace and stability”, the FO said.
The meeting was held under the MJDA and brought together senior political and military officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
The FO said the three countries would review cooperation under the agreement as well as discuss developments in the region.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye agreed to the emergency SPDC meeting after their foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24. The ministers discussed implementation of the Makkah agreement and agreed to convene an urgent meeting of the three countries’ military chiefs.
Read: Makkah pact military chiefs condemn attacks on holy city at Riyadh meeting
The military chiefs met in Riyadh the following day, reviewing threats facing Saudi Arabia and discussing intelligence sharing, military coordination and greater integration of defence capabilities.
The meeting came amid a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia attributed by Riyadh to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, including a strike on a power distribution facility in Madinah. Pakistan condemned the attack and reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and the security of the Two Holy Mosques.
Significance of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement
The MJDA was the latest step in longstanding military and strategic cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. Signed in Makkah, the pact established a framework for collective deterrence and stipulated that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three, while providing for wider cooperation across defence.
The agreement followed nearly a year of negotiations and came amid heightened instability across the Middle East. Turkiye and Pakistan had sought closer regional security cooperation, while Saudi Arabia had faced growing security concerns as conflicts spread across the region, threatening its territory, energy infrastructure and ambitious economic development plans.
For Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the trilateral pact is built on their Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed in September 2025. That agreement stated that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both” and committed the two sides to strengthening defence cooperation and joint deterrence.
Read More: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye sign joint defence pact in Makkah
The three countries already had extensive military links. Pakistan had provided training and technical assistance to Saudi forces for decades, while Islamabad and Ankara had maintained close defence ties through military training, naval cooperation and defence equipment. In 2023, Saudi Arabia agreed to purchase Turkish drones in what Ankara described as its largest defence export contract.
Pakistan had also expanded its military and security cooperation with the kingdom, deploying about 8,000 troops, fighter jets, drones and an air-defence system to Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters. Pakistan deploys troops to Saudi air base under defence pact. Islamabad had also been pursuing wider security and economic ties in the Gulf, including negotiations with Kuwait on an expanded cooperation pact linked to energy and investment. Pakistan-Kuwait agree to boost cooperation across key sectors
The signing in Makkah, Islam’s holiest city, added symbolic weight to an agreement that brought together three countries with significant military and strategic capabilities. It also came as Pakistan sought to avoid becoming directly involved in the Iran conflict, instead pursuing diplomatic efforts to mediate, while strengthening its broader regional security partnerships.Read More