The Mecca Pact redraws the Indo-Pacific’s western edge

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan have signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a new security pact that aims to integrate military and strategic cooperation across the Gulf, Mediterranean, and South Asia. Analysts suggest this move challenges existing power dynamics for the U.S., Australia, and India.
Why it matters
Represents a significant shift in geopolitical alliances that could alter security architectures in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East.
The most-pressing world events explained by Lowy Institute experts and global contributors, in your inbox, every Wednesday.
You may unsubscribe from The Interpreter at any time. For information on our privacy practices and how to unsubscribe, see our Privacy Policy .
Topics Research Interactives The Interpreter Events People Support us Support us Defence & security , explained.
A digital screen on the Republic of Turkiye Directorate of Communications building in Ankara promotes the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement (Guven Yilmaz/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have found that power lies in ambiguity, which the US, Australia and India must recognise.
The Mecca Pact redraws the Indo-Pacific’s western edge
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in