Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan to sign joint defense pact today: Reuters

Two regional sources told Reuters that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will sign a joint defense agreement in the Kingdom today, Friday, marking the culmination of nearly a year of trilateral negotiations. So far, there has been no official confirmation from the three capitals regarding the signing or details of the proposed agreement.

From bilateral to trilateral cooperation

The move builds on the "Joint Strategic Defense Agreement" signed by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Riyadh on September 17, 2025. That agreement stipulated that any attack on either country would be considered an attack on both.

Since then, efforts have accelerated to include Ankara in the framework. In January, Pakistan’s Minister for Defence Production, Raza Hayat Hiraj, told Reuters that "the trilateral agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey is already in preparation" and that its draft was ready and with Riyadh, noting it is separate from the Saudi-Pakistani bilateral pact. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the time confirmed talks were ongoing but no agreement had been signed, urging that the discussions be viewed in the context of broader regional cooperation rather than a narrow alliance.