Pakistan and Turkey to deploy forces to Saudi Arabia under defence pact

Pakistan and Turkey said on October 5, 2026, that they would rapidly deploy troops to Saudi Arabia under a three-country defence pact, following an emergency committee meeting in Riyadh amid attacks on the kingdom and fighting involving the Houthis in Yemen.¹²³

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Collective defence activated

The Strategic Political and Defence Committee agreed to begin implementing the alliance’s collective defence commitments immediately. The three governments decided to provide agreed military forces and capabilities and arrange their rapid deployment in Saudi Arabia, according to statements reported by several outlets.¹²³⁴

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said the members would “provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment”. Al Jazeera and TASS reported that the deployment will follow the agreed framework and comply with the domestic laws of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey.³⁴

The statements did not define the mission that the troops would perform in Saudi Arabia. TASS reported that the deployment was intended to improve combat readiness, military integration and the three countries’ collective capacity to respond to threats.¹⁴

Attacks on Saudi Arabia condemned

The three countries’ representatives denounced recent strikes on Saudi Arabia, including those aimed at Mecca and Medina, and opposed any attack or threat to Saudi sovereignty or territorial integrity. The alliance also reaffirmed its members’ solidarity in confronting attacks against Saudi Arabia and the holy sites.¹²

Al Jazeera reported that the alliance had agreed to activate collective deterrence in response to Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said members had acted in response “to the attacks and all those responsible for them”, according to the broadcaster.³

Escalation in Yemen

Yemen’s Saudi-supported government has begun a military pushback against the Houthis. The Straits Times reported that the operation followed a Houthi offensive in September that seized substantial territory from the Saudi-backed authorities, while Middle East Eye described the government operation as an effort to recover land lost during the conflict.¹²³

Middle East Eye reported that Saudi-backed Yemeni forces said they had recovered most of the coastal territory taken by the Houthis. It also reported that Pakistan had sent four aircraft carrying weapons to Aden and that Pakistani personnel were already in southern Yemen, although their command status was unclear. Those details were not confirmed by the other sources in the dossier.²

Terms of the pact

The Straits Times and Al Jazeera reported that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the mutual defence agreement in August. The Straits Times said the accord committed each country to assist another member if it came under attack.¹³

The alliance’s joint statement said the security of each member formed part of the collective security of all three countries. The immediate decision brings that commitment into operation, but the available statements leave the deployment’s scale, duties and operational arrangements unspecified.¹²³⁴