Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan agreed on Monday to activate collective deterrence measures under their Mecca defence alliance and move quickly to deploy military forces to the kingdom, following a surge in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group, officials said.
The decision came out of an emergency meeting of defence and foreign ministers in Riyadh. A joint statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the three countries would supply the agreed forces and capabilities and ensure their swift deployment, in line with approved arrangements and each member state’s national legislation.
Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said the committee had approved the activation of deterrence measures in response to the attacks and those behind them. The statement condemned what it described as an attempt to target the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, as well as strikes on cities, civilian sites and economic facilities in the kingdom. It did not name the Houthis.
The alliance was formed in August this year, when the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a trilateral defence agreement in Mecca amid heightened regional tension linked to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. It replaced an earlier bilateral pact between Riyadh and Islamabad signed in September 2025.
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in early September, after the Houthis fired a barrage of missiles at Saudi Arabia, that unprovoked aggression or a spillover of the Yemen conflict into the kingdom would trigger the pact. Local media have reported that Pakistan is preparing to expand its military presence in Saudi Arabia, including with about 25,000 troops, a figure that has not been officially confirmed.
Officials did not disclose the size, composition or timing of the deployments. Analysts said it was unclear what immediate effect the move would have on the fighting. A Western official in the Gulf told Middle East Eye that Pakistani personnel were already present in southern Yemen, though it was not clear whether they were operating under the Saudi military on contract or under Pakistan’s own forces.
Analysts had previously said Ankara and Islamabad were reluctant to give up their roles as mediators in the conflict involving Iran. The latest announcement shifts the alliance from stated commitments toward practical implementation.
