JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia-UNS : Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are expected to sign a trilateral defence agreement in Jeddah on Friday as the three regional powers seek to deepen security and defence-industry cooperation amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, according to regional sources.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is making a one-day working visit to Saudi Arabia, where he is due to meet Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for trilateral talks focused on strategic, security and defence cooperation.
The proposed agreement would build on years of growing military ties among the three countries and follow the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in September 2025. That bilateral pact committed the two countries to regard aggression against either of them as aggression against both.
The trilateral arrangement is expected to place greater emphasis on defence cooperation, military technology and the development of defence industries rather than replicating the collective-defence guarantees associated with NATO, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of heightened regional security concerns following attacks on Gulf targets in recent years and growing uncertainty over the future shape of regional security arrangements.
Turkey brings an increasingly advanced defence industry, particularly in drones, missiles, naval systems and other military technologies, while Pakistan has extensive military capabilities and a nuclear deterrent. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has substantial financial resources and has sought to expand domestic defence production and diversify its strategic partnerships.
Analysts say the emerging cooperation reflects a broader effort by regional powers to strengthen their own security capabilities and reduce reliance on traditional external security guarantees.
The agreement is not expected to constitute a NATO-style alliance, and its precise commitments and implementation mechanisms were not immediately clear.
The three countries have increasingly expanded political, economic and defence contacts in recent years, with officials describing their cooperation as part of a broader strategic partnership.
The meeting in Jeddah comes at a time of heightened concern over regional stability, including tensions involving Iran, Israel and armed groups operating across the Middle East.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has separately warned that disruption to major international waterways and trade routes could threaten the global trading system, underscoring the wider economic risks posed by escalating regional conflicts.
