Syria is currently evaluating whether to join the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement alongside Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, according to a report by Dawn. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani made the announcement on Saturday during the Manama Dialogue conference held in Bahrain. Specific timelines for a final decision were not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
What happened
According to Dawn, Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani stated that official deliberations are taking place to assess Syria's potential entry into the Makkah alliance. Speaking on regional stability, the foreign minister expressed Damascus’s support for Gulf nations against foreign aggression and strongly condemned drone and missile attacks. He also denounced ongoing Israeli strikes on Syrian territory, reaffirmed that the occupied Golan belongs to Syria, and called for a pathway toward an independent Palestinian state.
Key facts
- The Makkah Agreement: Established on August 7, the defense pact binds Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, stipulating that an attack on any single member is regarded as an attack against all.
- Defensive Scope: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed the alliance is strictly defensive. He noted that the pact's terms do not block new members who share its vision of collective deterrence, provided the political leaders of the founding nations approve.
- Prior Engagements: In August, two weeks after the agreement was concluded, Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani visited Pakistan to discuss bilateral security cooperation and the regional environment with Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Why it matters
The development comes as Saudi Arabia faces worsening strikes from Yemen's Houthi rebels, including a fatal attack this month that shut down Riyadh's international airport for two weeks. Dawn reported that Pakistan is providing necessary defense support to Saudi Arabia. International allies have also responded; French President Emmanuel Macron made an unannounced trip to Riyadh this month after deploying French forces to protect a major Saudi oil terminal, while the United Kingdom announced in October that it would send fighter jets to support Saudi Arabia against the ongoing strikes.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 31, 2026 · Photo by Omar Ramadan on Unsplash
