Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement last Friday, declaring that an armed attack on one would be regarded as an attack on all. According to the 2026 Global Firepower Index, the three countries together have nearly 1.4 million active military personnel, 3,415 aircraft, 6,046 tanks, 344 naval assets and combined annual defence budgets of about $124.4bn.
The agreement pledges stronger collective deterrence as the three countries face regional tensions, including concerns about Israel’s expanding military reach and Iran’s regional influence. Their capabilities are different: Saudi Arabia brings financial resources and strategic geography, Türkiye contributes a large defence-industrial base and NATO-linked expertise, while Pakistan provides manpower, operational experience and nuclear capability.
What the three countries bring together
Pakistan has the largest active force, with about 660,000 personnel, followed by Türkiye with 481,000 and Saudi Arabia with 247,000. The countries also have large paramilitary and reserve forces.
Pakistan operates about 1,397 military aircraft, Türkiye 1,101 and Saudi Arabia 917. Their land forces include approximately 2,677 tanks in Pakistan, 2,284 in Türkiye and 1,085 in Saudi Arabia, as well as more than 179,000 armoured vehicles and thousands of artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems.
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Türkiye has the largest naval inventory, with 192 assets, compared with Pakistan’s 120 and Saudi Arabia’s 32. Across the three fleets are 33 frigates, 24 corvettes and 22 submarines.
Why the pact matters to each country
For Saudi Arabia, the agreement broadens defence partnerships beyond the United States and adds Türkiye’s military capabilities and Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent. The source describes this as particularly relevant amid concerns over vital maritime corridors including the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb.
Türkiye and Pakistan could gain access to Saudi financial markets for their defence industries, whose manufacturing capacity exceeds what their domestic economies can sustain. Saudi Arabia has the largest defence budget among the three at $63.9bn in 2026, while Türkiye allocated $51.4bn and Pakistan $9.1bn.
More context: UK and France remain cautious on Strait of Hormuz coalition.
Türkiye is a NATO member but has no nuclear weapons of its own; it hosts US warheads under NATO nuclear-sharing arrangements. Pakistan is one of nine nuclear-armed states and first tested nuclear weapons in 1998. The source also says Pakistan relies heavily on China for arms imports.
What happens next
The agreement’s stated purpose is collective deterrence, but the supplied material does not specify a joint command structure, deployment rules or an implementation timetable. Analysts cited by Al Jazeera said the pact could connect regional powers more directly, while the United States would remain important for intelligence, advanced missile defence and high-end military technology.
Egypt is the only country whose possible membership has been publicly raised by a signatory. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called Egypt a “natural partner” and said he expected Cairo to join once technical issues were resolved. Analysts said Egypt could be cautious about binding military obligations and the effect on its existing agreements, alliances and peace treaties.
Also read: Why the Strait of Hormuz talks are becoming harder to resolve.
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