Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed a trilateral defence pact aimed at taking collective security and defence cooperation to a new height.TAG_OPEN_p_11 The agreement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at a joint defence summit in Mecca.

According to the agreement, an armed attack on one of the three countries will be considered as an attack on all three countries.TAG_OPEN_p_10 It also pledged to further expand defence cooperation, security coordination, military training, technology exchange and strategic partnership.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had a similar defence understanding in the past, but now Turkey has also formally joined the security mechanism.TAG_OPEN_p_9 According to analysts, the combination of Saudi Arabia’s economic might, Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities and Turkey’s evolving defense industry and military experience raise the possibility of building a new security pole.

“TAG_OPEN_p_8 The agreement is aimed at building a secure and prosperous future by promoting regional peace, security and stability,” the statement said. The three countries have pledged to jointly deal with potential security challenges by strengthening collective defence capabilities.

The agreement comes amid a changing geopolitical equation in the West Asia region.TAG_OPEN_p_7 Recently, Saudi Arabia announced a multinational maritime security alliance to protect trade vessels and energy supply routes in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. Turkey and Pakistan are among the countries that have supported the initiative.

Regional affairs experts say the deal could have a significant impact on the balance of power in the Middle East.TAG_OPEN_p_6 Ties between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which have expanded their defence industry, drone technology, military production and trade ties in recent years, are also expected to strengthen after the deal.

Analysts say the new defence partnership could have long-term implications for the security architecture of the Middle East and the Muslim world.