This event is part of the series “The Neighbourhood Scope,” a monthly feature of the Strategic Studies Programme that intends to rekindle key conversations, questions, and debates concerning India’s neighbourhood.
On August 7, 2026, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Mecca Defence Agreement ‘in an apparent bid to build collective deterrence and enhance regional stability,’ while further consolidating defence cooperation among the three countries. Amidst the military’s centralisation of power, Pakistan has positioned itself at the forefront of Gulf diplomacy since the eruption of the war between Iran and the US as a mediator. The subsequent signing of the Mecca Pact converts Pakistan’s long-standing defence relationship with Riyadh and increasing cooperation with Türkiye into a formal trilateral security architecture, drawing interest from Iran, Egypt, and other Gulf states, even as all three signatories retain their ties with Washington.
How does the signing of this pact affect India’s interests in West Asia? How will India balance its ties with Riyadh as it develops closer ties with Pakistan? Does the Mecca Agreement mark a durable shift in Pakistan’s standing in the region? What would this mean for Türkiye’s defence and security cooperation in the region ? In what ways should India recalibrate its own West Asia strategy in this context?
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