Public Debates & Opinions
The Makkah Pact: Does It Strengthen or Weaken Gulf Security?
“If, God forbid, those rabid beasts launch an attack on Saudi Arabia, will we see the Turkish and Pakistani air forces bombing Yemen, Iraq, and Tehran?”
With this question, Kuwaiti former politician and diplomat Fuad Al-Hashim captured the skepticism surrounding the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. The agreement, which establishes the principle that an attack on one of the three countries constitutes an attack on all, has triggered a wider Gulf debate over what it means for the future of regional security.
Some Gulf commentators fear that building a new regional defense arrangement outside the Gulf Cooperation Council could further weaken Gulf security cooperation. Others see precisely the opposite: the pact could give the GCC additional strategic depth, diversify Gulf security partnerships, and perhaps become the nucleus of a broader regional defense system.
