Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan to sign joint defence deal amid regional turmoil

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are set to sign a joint defence agreement. The deal, which has been under negotiation since last year, is expected to be signed in Mecca by the leaders of the three Muslim-majority countries, according to Middle East Eye. The agreement will cover all aspects of defence cooperation among the three countries, and according to a source in Ankara, it "will change the balance of power in the region" and "enhance the stability and security of people living in this part of the world".

The agreement comes amid regional turmoil, with Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, coming under fire from Iran after it was attacked by the US and Israel. According to Al-Monitor, the pact further cements a burgeoning grouping of major Sunni Muslim powers. The leaders set to sign the agreement are Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who will meet in Jeddah, as reported by Euronews.

The region has seen recent escalations, including shelling by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis that left 11 civilians injured in southern Saudi Arabia, and killed dozens of government troops in Yemen. The joint defence deal aims to strengthen regional security ties following escalations from the US-Iran conflict.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, The National UAE, Middle East Eye, DW News, Euronews — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — read the original for the full account.