Reporting snapshot · 31 August 2026. This reports the joint statement and Foreign Office account of the first Strategic Political and Defence Committee meeting. The secretariat has not yet begun work, and several implementation details remained unannounced.
What happened
The Foreign Office said on Monday, 31 August 2026, that Pakistan will provide the first secretary general of the Makkah Defence Alliance for a three-year term, after the alliance’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee held its inaugural meeting in Istanbul.
In a statement, the FO said a secretariat headed by a secretary general would be established in Saudi Arabia to support the three members, and that it would initially be led by a secretary general from Pakistan for three years. A joint statement said Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed to take steps to further institutionalise their cooperation in a way intended to strengthen their solidarity and the credibility of their collective deterrence and defence.
The Istanbul meeting
The meeting brought together the foreign ministers, defence ministers and chiefs of defence of the three countries. Pakistan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
Saudi Arabia’s delegation included Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Chief of General Staff Gen Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili. Türkiye’s side included Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff Gen Selcuk Bayraktaroglu.
Participants discussed international security issues, developing defence capabilities, improving interoperability among the three armed forces, deepening defence industry cooperation, including joint production and research and development, and strengthening efforts against terrorism, according to the statement. The Inter Services Public Relations said Field Marshal Munir also held separate meetings in Istanbul, including with Prince Khalid bin Salman and with Turkish officials.
What was agreed
The joint statement said the three countries would work to strengthen their defence capabilities and the cohesion of their armed forces through defence industry cooperation and joint technology development and production. It said the meeting outlined the framework for the secretariat and other mechanisms that will coordinate work identified by the committee, and set a roadmap for future steps.
At a press conference after the talks, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the agreement had launched a process to build a “new architecture for security and cooperation” in the region, and that the alliance was intended to expand. He said it would not replace the members’ other obligations, such as those under NATO, and would remain open to other countries in the region.
Background
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Makkah on 7 August 2026, in a pact under which an attack on one signatory is treated as an attack on all. The Istanbul meeting was the first formal session of the committee established to give the agreement strategic direction.
Why it matters
The meeting moves the agreement from signature towards institutions. For Pakistan, providing the first secretary general places it at the centre of a framework that links it more closely with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Read alongside the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, the secretariat decision answers some questions about how the pact will operate.
What remains uncertain
The statement did not name the secretary general, set a date for the secretariat to begin work or say which additional countries might join. It also did not explain how the collective-defence commitment would be activated. Asked about recent Israeli remarks portraying Türkiye as a strategic threat, Fidan criticised the Israeli prime minister, but the joint statement did not address that exchange.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent on-the-ground reporting. Facts and attributed statements are as carried by the cited source, which was reviewed on 31 August 2026.
- The Express Tribune — "Pakistan to provide first secretary general of Makkah Defence Alliance for three years: FO"31 August 2026 · The Foreign Office statement, the joint statement, the list of participants, Field Marshal Munir's meetings and Hakan Fidan's remarks.
