A high-level military clash involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey took place in Riyadh under the Riyadh-Makkah Alliance as regional security tensions escalate.

Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir held an emergency meeting with Turkish Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu and Saudi Chief of General Staff General Fayaz bin Hameed Al-Willi. The talks come at a sensitive time for the region, with the conflict in Yemen fueling security concerns and Houthi forces, also known as Ansarullah, launching attacks against Saudi Arabia.

The presence of top military commanders from the three countries highlighted the Makkah Alliance’s defense cooperation, with the meeting focusing on the rapidly changing regional security situation.

Developments related to attacks targeting Saudi Arabia are also expected to feature prominently in the talks, as the three sides assess the changing security environment.

The Makkah Alliance

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Mecca Accords in a major move towards collective defence, as an armed attack against one member would be considered an attack against all three. The agreement also covers military cooperation, defense industry cooperation, technology development and joint defense production.

The alliance comes into sharper focus as Saudi Arabia faces new missile and drone threats attributed to Yemen’s Houthi movement, also known as Ansarullah, amid Yemen’s ongoing conflict. Saudi officials have reported intercepting projectiles headed for places including Taif and Yanbu. The Houthis have also claimed attacks on Saudi targets, although some of these claims have not been independently verified.

This coalition was not created specifically to fight the Houthis. It was established before the latest September surge and has a broader collective defense purpose. However, timing makes the agreement particularly relevant. Saudi Arabia is now dealing with an active security threat while Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are building their new defense infrastructure.

The meeting brings together the coalition’s defense leadership at a time when regional tensions have risen and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have been reported.