Retired Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood appointed first head of Makkah Defence Alliance secretariat

Foreign Office officials announced on Wednesday that retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood would assume the role of the first secretary general of the Makkah Defence Alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye. The announcement came in a handout following the agreement’s signing on August 7, 2023. The secretary general will oversee the general secretariat of the alliance, set to be established in Riyadh.

The agreement, which empowers member states to treat an attack against one as an attack against all, was initially signed in Istanbul by officials from all three member states. During the inaugural meeting, Pakistan was chosen to head the alliance’s secretariat in Riyadh, with the secretary general role initially assigned to a Pakistani official for three years.

The three countries also discussed ways to strengthen their cooperation, aiming to enhance solidarity, credibility, and effectiveness in collective deterrence and defence, as well as contribute to regional cooperative security efforts. While there has been speculation about the pact’s potential expansion, including Turkiye suggesting Egypt’s inclusion, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan stated that an expansion was not imminent at the time.

The alliance’s director general, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, emphasized that it has no regional aspirations and is intended for collective deterrence, stating that Pakistan would go to "any extent" to defend Saudi Arabia, asserting Islamabad's unconditional commitment to the kingdom's security.