Renewed Houthi advances near Bab-el-Mandeb and repeated missile strikes on Saudi territory have become the first practical test of the 2026 Mecca Pact linking Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Riyadh airport remained shut on Monday, October 12, after fresh missile and drone attacks. The alliance grew out of the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed in September 2025.
Turkey has limited its role to technical and defensive support, while Pakistan has publicly denied reports of its fighter jets aiding Saudi operations in Yemen, reflecting a long pattern of quiet military help followed by official denials. Pakistan previously sent personnel under army chiefs including General Qamar Javed Bajwa, balancing its economic distress and ties to Riyadh against pressure from Iran. The pact functions as a flexible technology-and-security partnership rather than a joint expeditionary force.
Bilateral defence pacts frequently founder when operational realities demand direct combat participation against regional adversaries. The Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed between Riyadh and Islamabad inherits a legacy of discreet advisory deployments dating back to the 1969 deployment of Pakistan Air Force pilots flying English Electric Lightning jets at Al Wadiah. Modern burden-sharing arrangements in the Gulf continue to rely on ambiguous command structures where official denials mask auxiliary security roles. This institutionalized deniability allows troop-contributing nations to maintain economic lifelines with Saudi Arabia without triggering direct diplomatic retaliation from Tehran.
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