Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye held an urgent meeting of their top military leaders on Friday to strengthen support for the kingdom under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. The gathering took place as Houthi fighters intensify attacks on the world’s largest oil exporter.
Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir from Pakistan, Saudi Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh Bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili and Turkish Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroglu attended the talks. The Turkish armed forces shared images and an update from the meeting on their official X account.
The discussions come amid a sharp rise in Houthi strikes against Saudi territory and the internationally recognised Yemeni government. On Thursday the group claimed it fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets. Saudi authorities reported intercepting six ballistic missiles. Emergency alerts were issued for areas including Makkah, Jeddah and the Red Sea oil port of Yanbu.
These attacks have disrupted oil flows from the kingdom and form part of a wider regional conflict that started with US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year. The Saudi foreign ministry said the three allies jointly condemned strikes that targeted Makkah and other civilian sites. They also affirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself.
Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan called on Saudi and allied forces to stay united while confronting the Houthi threat. He urged troops to show patience, steadfastness and perseverance in their duties. The grand mufti described the Houthis as a danger to Saudi peace and stability and stressed the heavy responsibility carried by the forces protecting the country and its people.
The meeting signals closer military coordination among the three partners. Defence officials from Pakistan and Turkiye have already been working with their Saudi counterparts on intelligence sharing and force integration. With Houthi missiles continuing to threaten key energy infrastructure and holy sites, the allies appear determined to present a united front.
Regional tensions remain high. The ongoing fighting in Yemen has also created a growing humanitarian crisis, while global energy markets watch every development closely. The latest military talks show that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are moving quickly to reinforce their defence partnership under the Makkah agreement.
