The chiefs of staff of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan held an urgent meeting in Riyadh on September 25 under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement and reaffirmed their commitment to defending the kingdom’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The meeting brought together Saudi Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu and Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
According to reports, the chiefs discussed regional air and maritime security, intelligence sharing and joint deterrence against ballistic missile and drone threats, and concluded that the agreement’s provisions must be turned immediately into operational plans, including joint military exercises and compatible defense systems.
The meeting comes as missile and drone attacks on the kingdom intensify. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, provides for mutual defense if any party is attacked.