The Makkah Agreement: A New Strategic Layer in Pakistan’s Security Calculus

This analysis by Brig (r) Tughral Yamin, Senior IPS Associate, examines the strategic significance of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye and its implications for Pakistan’s security calculus. The policy insight explores how the trilateral pact adds another layer to Pakistan’s defense posture amid changing regional security dynamics and growing doubts about the reliability of the US security role in the Middle East. It assesses the potential gains for Pakistan in terms of strategic weight vis-à-vis India, defense-industrial and financial cooperation, and greater diplomatic standing, while also highlighting the agreement’s limitations, including uncertainty over its collective-defense commitments and the possibility of countervailing regional alignments. Importantly, the commentary argues that the agreement should be understood not as a NATO-style security guarantee but as a strategic framework that provides Pakistan with greater diplomatic and security leverage.