Makkah Pact; Maritime Security of the Arabian Sea, Strategic Map Changed

Makkah Defense Pact: Maritime Security Map of the Arabian Sea Changed
(Asghar Ali Mubarak)
Makkah: The security situation of the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea has completely changed after the mutual defense pact. The Makkah Pact is not a permanent international military group like NATO, but a quick strategic and operational defense alliance among the three major Muslim powers, which will use the idea of “collective defense” to help each other if needed.
Pakistan is the only nuclear power in the alliance, with an estimated 170 nuclear warheads and the latest long-range ballistic and cruise missile systems (such as the Shaheen and Ghori series).
In the midst of intense military campaigns and regional instability in the Middle East, Pakistan’s nuclear and missile capabilities have been incorporated into the alliance under NATO’s collective defense principle (attack one, attack all), which will serve as a strong deterrent against any external power.
Following the September 2025 Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) and the escalation of tensions caused by the Iran-Iraq war in February 2026, Pakistan has already deployed thousands of troops, JF-17 fighter jets, state-of-the-art drone squadrons, and military defense systems to ensure Saudi Arabia’s security.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was accompanied by Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, whose personal and tireless military diplomacy has been recognized as the main impetus for the establishment of this trilateral alliance.
The Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Gulf, the world’s most important oil supply route, has now come under the direct influence of this new trilateral military alliance. The Pakistan Navy has long had extensive experience in providing security in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf. Under the Makkah Agreement, Pakistan Navy warships and maritime surveillance aircraft are now patrolling the Arabian Gulf regularly. Pakistan has deployed its naval commandos (SSG-N) and technical experts to augment the capabilities of the Saudi Navy to protect Saudi Arabia’s eastern ports and oil installations from any potential naval or drone attacks. Historically, security in the Arabian Gulf has been at the mercy of the US Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain. After the 2025 security crisis, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have combined their warships to establish an alternative security network, significantly reducing the Gulf countries’ traditional dependence on the US fleet in the Gulf. Under the Makkah agreement, the Turkish Navy has permanently deployed its latest ‘MILGEM’ class corvettes and frigates in the waters of the Arabian Gulf for the first time in history. This modern naval force of Turkey, combined with Pakistan’s experience and Saudi Arabia’s coastal infrastructure, has become an impenetrable defensive wall against any external naval aggression in the Gulf. Oil tankers going from the Arabian Gulf to the rest of the world, especially China and Asian countries, were in the past seriously threatened by drone attacks and pirates. After this joint maritime security, international commercial shipping lines have regained confidence in this route, because now three major military powers are monitoring these sea routes. Iran’s naval presence in the Arabian Gulf and the high-speed boats of its Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have always been a challenge. This new maritime balance created in the Gulf after the Makkah agreement has prevented Iran from taking unilateral naval actions or threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, because now, in the event of any naval conflict, it will have to face not only Saudi Arabia but also the naval and air power of Pakistan and Turkey.
Makkah Under the defense agreement, the defense production partnership between Pakistan and Turkey has emerged as the strongest industrial and technological pillar of the entire alliance. Whereas in the past, military trade between the two countries was limited to buying and selling, under this new strategic framework, the focus has now shifted to joint manufacturing, technology transfer, and scientific research to eliminate dependence on foreign countries in the defense sector. Turkey’s fifth-generation fighter jet ‘Kan’ program is currently one of the most advanced aerospace projects in the world. Pakistan has formally joined this project as a key strategic partner. Experts and engineers from Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra are working with the Turkish company ‘TUSAŞ’ to develop the avionics, software, and structure of this aircraft, giving Pakistan direct access to fifth-generation technology. Turkey is a world leader in drone technology. Under this agreement, not only has the supply of Turkey’s famous Bayraktar TB2, Akinci and Anka drones to Pakistan been accelerated, but some of their components have also been manufactured locally in Pakistan. Joint Upgradation: The two countries are jointly equipping these drones with artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced guided missile systems to make them capable of state-of-the-art electronic warfare. Moreover, the ‘MILGEM’ project between the Pakistan Navy and the Turkish defense industry is a prime example of this partnership. Under this project, state-of-the-art warships (such as the Babur-class corvette) are being manufactured. The most notable feature of this project is the transfer of technology to Pakistan. These ships are being manufactured not only in Turkey but also in Pakistan’s Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW), which has immensely increased Pakistan’s naval defense production capacity. Joint centers for helicopter maintenance, local production of spare parts, and upgradation have been established between Pakistan and Turkey in the field of military aviation. Work is underway on sharing advanced armored vehicles and tank technology between Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) and Turkish defense institutions to provide the ground forces of both countries with the latest defense weapons. The biggest benefit of this production collaboration is the financial support of Saudi Arabia. Under the Makkah Agreement, Saudi Arabia is providing substantial funds for all these major manufacturing projects, while Pakistan’s manpower and military experience, along with Turkey’s technology, are rapidly completing these projects. This tripartite model is forever freeing the three countries from the blackmail of expensive weapons from Western countries. Military and strategic analysis suggests that the agreement is technically similar to NATO’s Article 5. Under NATO Article 5, an attack on one member country is considered an attack on all member countries. The technical and legal spirit of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is actually a modern Muslim alternative to the historic “Article 5” of NATO. In terms of technical and security, the following similarities are found between the two: The principle of collective defence is NATO’s Article 5. According to this provision, if an armed attack occurs on one member country of NATO, it is considered an attack on all 32 members of the organization, and all countries are obliged to respond militarily to it together.
In the Makkah Agreement, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have also signed this military principle that in the event of external aggression on the geographical boundaries, sovereignty or security of any of these three countries, it will be considered a joint attack on all three countries. Like NATO, under this agreement, in case of aggression, the three countries will use all their available military, defence and intelligence resources to The nexus of powers: In practical terms, this means that if one side is attacked, Pakistan’s 1.7 million active and reserve troops and strategic capabilities, Turkey’s state-of-the-art NATO-standard defense industry and air force, and Saudi Arabia’s strategic depth and economic resources will work together as a combined force. Strategic Deterrence is the element of fear for the attacker. NATO’s Article 5 is essentially a defensive shield so that any enemy thinks that he will have to face the United States and all other European powers before attacking a small NATO country.
The purpose of the Makkah Agreement is also to establish such a strong deterrent in the ongoing war and instability in the Middle East that any external power, whether it is Israel or any other aggressor, will be afraid of Pakistan’s nuclear military power and Turkey’s modern force before moving towards Saudi Arabia or any other member country. This is the shield of the Muslim bloc. This is the opinion of international experts and has been declared an earthquake in the geopolitics of the Middle East, because for the first time in history, the three largest military and economic pillars of the Muslim world have established a formal written and legal security agreement on the lines of NATO. Although the Makkah Mutual Defense Agreement is similar in spirit to NATO’s Article 5, there are big and fundamental technical differences between the two in technical, organizational, and strategic terms.
Permanent Joint Military Command Structure
(Integrated Military Command)
NATO has a permanent and regular Integrated Military Command Structure, which is always headed by an American four-star general. It has its own The permanent headquarters is in Brussels, and a certain proportion of the forces of all member countries conduct joint exercises and operations under NATO command at all times.
No joint or permanent military command structure has been established under the Mecca Agreement. It is essentially a strategic military alliance and agreement, under which forces will be mobilized when needed, but the forces of the three countries operate entirely under their own national commands (e.g., Rawalpindi, Ankara and Riyadh).
Nuclear Umbrella & Control;
(Nuclear Umbrella & Authorization)
NATO does not have its own nuclear weapons, but three of its members, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, are nuclear powers. NATO has a regular “Nuclear Planning Group” (NPG), and American nuclear weapons are stationed in various European countries such as Belgium, Germany, and Turkey for NATO’s collective defense, which are controlled under a common policy.
Pakistan is the only nuclear power in the Makkah Agreement alliance. However, unlike NATO, no other country has any authority or access to Pakistan’s nuclear assets, their strategic planning, or their command and control codes. Pakistan’s nuclear capability is fully under the control of Islamabad’s Strategic Plans Division (SPD), and the agreement does not include any kind of joint nuclear command,
Legal & Institutional Bindings

NATO is an international organization established under regular international law and the Washington Treaty (1949). It has its own permanent civilian bureaucracy, budget, and Secretary General. The accession of any new member requires the approval of all member states’ parliaments,

The Makkah Treaty is a trilateral defense pact;

(Trilateral Defence Pact),
It has no permanent civilian headquarters, permanent secretariat, or joint budget. It operates on direct contacts between heads of state (summit) and military leadership and on mutual understandings (MoUs), which makes it not as complex an institution as NATO.
Geographical Scope: NATO’s geographical scope is very clear. Under Article 6 of the Washington Treaty, Article 5 applies only to the territories and islands of the members located in North America, Europe, or the Mediterranean and North Atlantic region.
The geographical scope of the Makkah Treaty extends to the geographical boundaries of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, strategic parts of the Middle East and South Asia. Its main purpose is to prevent the effects of war and regional instability in the Middle East,