Pakistan Army Official Named First Secretary General of Saudi Defense Pact

Pakistan's retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood has been appointed as the inaugural Secretary General of the Makkah Defense Alliance, according to the Foreign Office. The alliance's General Secretariat will be based in Riyadh. The appointment came after an agreement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye to establish the secretariat, which was announced following a meeting of the alliance's Strategic Political and Defense Committee in Istanbul.

Pakistan agreed to provide the first Secretary General for an initial three-year term, fulfilling an earlier statement by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, signed by the three countries on August 7, aims to bolster defense cooperation and collective deterrence. The alliance's first Strategic Political and Defense Committee meeting saw senior officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye discuss strengthening cooperation and defense capabilities through joint activities, technology development, and defense industry collaboration.