By Abdul Wajid Khan

The selection of a Pakistani as the first secretary general of the Makkah Defence Alliance gives Islamabad an opportunity to influence the emerging regional security framework, deepen defence industry cooperation and strengthen its regional role, but the leadership position could also bring new strategic and diplomatic obligations.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye have agreed to further institutionalise their cooperation under the Makkah Agreement to strengthen solidarity, enhance collective deterrence and defence, and contribute to regional efforts towards a just, inclusive and lasting peace.

The three countries have also reiterated their commitment to strengthening their defence capabilities and cohesion of their armed forces through defence-industry cooperation, joint technology development and production.

The move marks an important step from the signing of the trilateral defence pact towards developing institutional mechanisms for coordinating cooperation among the three countries.

In an interview with Wealth Pakistan, Dr Taimur Khan, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Relations at the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Islamabad, said the significance of Pakistan’s role would depend less on holding the first secretary general position and more on the authority attached to the office and Islamabad’s ability to influence the alliance’s agenda.

He said having a Pakistani official heading the secretariat would place Islamabad at the centre of the alliance’s initial institution-building process and could provide greater access to Saudi and Turkish decision-makers. However, the secretary general should not be viewed as having unilateral decision-making authority.

“Pakistan’s actual influence will depend on the alliance’s decision-making structure, the authority granted to the secretary general and Islamabad’s ability to build consensus among member states,” he said.

Dr Taimur said the leadership role provided Pakistan with agenda-setting and diplomatic leverage, but its long-term strategic value would depend on how effectively Islamabad converted institutional presence into substantive influence.

He said the alliance could also strengthen Pakistan’s credentials as a regional security provider by allowing it to contribute its military experience, training capabilities, counterterrorism expertise, intelligence cooperation and strategic planning.

Pakistan already has longstanding defence ties with both Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, providing a foundation for closer trilateral cooperation. A larger regional role, however, could also bring additional responsibilities.

The defence pact provides that an attack against one member will be treated as an attack against all three. Dr Taimur said the practical implications would depend on how the alliance defined an attack and what procedures were established for consultation and collective response.

Pakistan, he said, would need to ensure that additional commitments did not constrain its ability to address security challenges along its own borders.

Dr Taimur identified defence industry cooperation as another potentially significant benefit for Pakistan. Turkiye has developed capabilities in areas including drones, naval systems, aerospace, electronic warfare and precision technologies. Pakistan has established defence production and aerospace capabilities, while Saudi Arabia has financial resources and an ambitious programme to develop its domestic defence industry.

He said the trilateral framework could create opportunities to combine Turkish technology, Pakistani technical expertise and Saudi investment.

However, the alliance itself did not guarantee technology transfer or joint production. For Pakistan to secure a meaningful economic and technological dividend, Dr Taimur said Islamabad would need concrete agreements covering joint ventures, research and development, financing and technology transfer.

The alliance could also pose a diplomatic balancing challenge for Pakistan. Saudi Arabia remains an important strategic and economic partner, while Iran is Pakistan’s immediate western neighbour.

Dr Taimur said Islamabad should make clear that the Makkah Defence Alliance was defensive and not directed against any particular state, while maintaining diplomatic engagement with Tehran as trilateral military cooperation develops.

“Pakistan should avoid allowing the alliance to become an instrument of regional polarisation,” he said, adding that Islamabad would need to balance its growing ties with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye with continued engagement with Iran.

On the wider regional impact, Dr Taimur said the alliance could eventually contribute to a more diversified regional security architecture by bringing together three countries with complementary strengths.

Pakistan offered significant military capabilities and strategic experience, Turkiye brought an advanced defence industry and NATO membership, while Saudi Arabia contributed substantial economic resources and regional influence, he said.

However, he cautioned against viewing the arrangement as an immediate transformation of the regional balance of power. Its initial significance was likely to be more political and diplomatic than military while the three countries developed institutional mechanisms and worked towards greater military interoperability.

“The real test will be whether the alliance can translate political commitments into regular joint activities, operational coordination and concrete defence projects,” he said.

Dr Taimur said the United States was also likely to closely watch the alliance’s development. Washington could welcome greater regional burden-sharing if the grouping contributed to counterterrorism, maritime security, deterrence and stability, while concerns could emerge if it developed into an alternative security bloc aimed at reducing US influence in the region.

Turkiye’s NATO membership added another dimension, although its participation did not make the trilateral grouping part of NATO.

For Saudi Arabia, he said, the alliance was more likely to complement than replace its longstanding security relationship with Washington. The new framework could instead provide Riyadh with additional security partnerships and greater strategic flexibility.

For Pakistan, Dr Taimur said, the three-year term of its first secretary general provided an important opportunity to demonstrate what the alliance could deliver.

He said Pakistan’s stewardship could ultimately be assessed through concrete outcomes, including effective institutional mechanisms, meaningful defence cooperation, joint production and technology partnerships, regular military activities and a clear framework for responding to security crises.

Pakistan’s ability to translate the secretary general position into such outcomes, he said, would determine whether the leadership role developed into lasting strategic influence rather than remaining primarily a diplomatic achievement.

Credit: INP-WealthPk