Syria Weighs Joining Makkah Defence Pact
The Makkah defence pact could gain its first new member, after Syria’s foreign minister said on Saturday that Damascus was considering whether to join the alliance that binds Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani told the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain that discussions were under way to evaluate Syria’s entry into the pact.
“Discussions are currently underway to evaluate Syria’s entry into the Makkah alliance,” al-Shaibani said, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency. Dawn reported his remarks, which were also carried by Arab News, Daily Sabah and other outlets covering the conference.
What the Makkah defence pact covers
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed on 7 August 2026 in Makkah by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Its central provision treats an armed attack on any one member as an attack on all three. The pact also set up a Strategic Political and Defence Committee to oversee its work, and a permanent secretariat in Riyadh. Pakistan’s retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood was appointed its first secretary-general for a three-year term.
Pakistan already has two defence pacts with Riyadh: a bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, and the Makkah pact that also includes Turkiye. That is why Syria’s possible entry matters in Islamabad as much as in Riyadh or Ankara, and why the decision rests with the three founding members. Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said a day earlier that the pact’s wording did not bar new members. “Anyone who has a shared vision of collective deterrence and regional peace, why not? Everyone is most welcome,” he said.
Chaudhry also stressed that all members were clear the alliance had no offensive intent, and that it was purely defensive. He added that Pakistan was providing whatever support was needed to defend Saudi Arabia amid the Houthi attacks.
Why Syria is looking at the pact now
Al-Shaibani framed Syria’s interest as part of a wider choice about the country’s place in the region. “Geography is destiny, and integration is a choice. We have chosen to make our territory a bridge for prosperity and the exchange of interests, and we stand as a bulwark against turning Syria into a platform for threatening neighbouring countries,” he said. He expressed support for the Gulf states against any aggression, condemned missile and drone attacks, and condemned repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory. He also affirmed that the occupied Golan was Syrian land, and called for a path to an independent Palestinian state.
The timing reflects two pressures. First, Saudi Arabia has been rallying support against escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, including a deadly strike that closed Riyadh’s international airport for two weeks this month. France and Britain have both sent military help to shield Saudi sites. Second, Syria’s government, which came to power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, is rebuilding its military and diplomatic ties, and a defence pact with three major regional states would anchor that effort.
The Pakistan connection
Syria’s interest is not new to Islamabad. In August, two weeks after the pact was signed, al-Shaibani visited Pakistan and called on Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir to discuss regional security and defence cooperation. That visit now reads as an early step towards the Manama talks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Makkah defence pact?
It is the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed on 7 August 2026 by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan. It treats an armed attack on any member as an attack on all three, and its members describe it as purely defensive.
Is Syria joining the pact?
Not yet. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said discussions are under way to evaluate Syria’s entry, but no formal application or final decision has been announced.
Who decides whether Syria can join?
The political leadership of the three founding members, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, would decide. Pakistan’s military spokesperson has said the pact’s wording does not bar new members.
Why does Syria want to join now?
Damascus is rebuilding its military and diplomatic ties after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, and the pact would anchor Syria in a regional security framework.
