Pakistan FM Announces Upcoming Meeting of Mecca Pact Defense Committee

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that the strategic political defense committee of the Mecca Pact will meet soon in Riyadh. He spoke in Istanbul on October 2, 2026, and later said the meeting would take place "next week".

Dar said that "at least more than six countries are keen to join the Mecca" Pact. He did not name them in the remarks reported by Anadolu Agency.

The pact was signed in August 2026 by Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed for Pakistan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for Türkiye and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for Saudi Arabia. Its core provision states that an attack against any one of the signatory states will be considered an attack against all parties.

Each country has three members on the committee: its foreign minister, its defense minister and its chief of General Staff. The bloc's most recent meetings were held shortly before Dar's announcement. Foreign ministers met in New York on September 24, and military chiefs met in Riyadh on September 25.

Dar also addressed the Houthi-Saudi conflict. He said Iran had suggested political engagement with the Houthis in "good faith", and that Iranian leaders "wish" to see the conflict resolved.

Saudi Arabia, a fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member of Qatar, hosts the committee meeting. The report does not name Qatar as a signatory or as one of the states seeking to join.