Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia: Military Power Compared

The new defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey has brought together three of the most important Muslim-majority powers under a shared security framework.

The three countries already have strong political, diplomatic and defence relationships, but the Makkah Agreement could take their military cooperation to a new level.

Each country brings different strengths to the partnership. Pakistan has a nuclear weapons capability and a large military force, Saudi Arabia has enormous energy wealth and significant defence spending, while Turkey has developed one of the region’s most advanced domestic defence industries.

The exact details of the agreement have not been publicly released. However, the three countries have said that an attack on any one of the signatories would be considered an attack on all three.

What does the Makkah defence pact mean?

The agreement has attracted attention because its mutual-defence provision appears similar in principle to Article 5 of the NATO treaty.

Under such an arrangement, an attack against one member could trigger support from the other members. The exact nature of that support, however, remains unclear because the full text of the agreement has not been made public.

The pact could therefore have major implications for the security calculations of all three countries.

If a major conflict were to take place involving Pakistan, for example, Saudi Arabia and Turkey could potentially face pressure to provide political, military or logistical support.

Likewise, a serious conflict involving Turkey could create difficult decisions for Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan brings nuclear and military strength

Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed country among the three members. Its nuclear capability gives the country a strategic position that is very different from those of Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Pakistan also maintains one of the largest standing military forces in the Muslim world, with substantial experience in conventional warfare and counterterrorism operations.

Its defence sector has also developed significant capabilities in areas including fighter aircraft, missiles, armoured vehicles and military technology.

Pakistan's military relationship with Turkey has expanded in recent years, while its long-standing defence and security ties with Saudi Arabia provide another important foundation for the new agreement.

Saudi Arabia brings financial and strategic resources

Saudi Arabia's greatest strength within the partnership is its enormous economic and energy resources.

The kingdom is one of the world's major oil producers and has invested heavily in modernising its armed forces. Saudi Arabia operates advanced aircraft, missile-defence systems, armoured vehicles and other sophisticated military equipment.

A large portion of its military hardware has historically been sourced from major international defence companies.

This means Saudi Arabia can bring substantial financial resources and strategic importance to the new defence partnership, even though it does not possess a publicly acknowledged nuclear weapons capability.

Turkey's growing defence industry

Turkey offers another important capability: a rapidly expanding domestic defence industry.

Over the past decade, Turkish companies have developed and exported a wide range of military products, including drones, armoured vehicles, naval platforms, missiles and other defence systems.

Turkish drones in particular have gained international attention and have been used in several conflicts.

The country's growing ability to produce military equipment domestically could make Turkey an important technological partner for Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

What could the three countries gain?

The three countries have different military strengths, and that could be one of the most important features of the agreement.

Pakistan brings nuclear deterrence, military manpower and operational experience. Saudi Arabia brings economic power, energy resources and substantial defence spending. Turkey contributes an expanding defence industry, technological expertise and growing military capabilities.

Together, these strengths could create a broader strategic partnership than any of the three countries could establish individually.

Defence production could become another major area of cooperation. Joint projects, technology transfers, military exercises and intelligence-sharing could strengthen the relationship over time.

Questions remain about the agreement

Despite the significance of the pact, many details remain uncertain.

The full text of the agreement has not been publicly released, meaning it is not yet clear how the mutual-defence commitment would work in practice.

One of the biggest questions is whether the agreement would require the three countries to provide direct military assistance if another member entered a war.

Another question is how the pact would operate if a conflict involved one member but was limited to a particular region.

These details will determine whether the Makkah Agreement remains primarily a political and strategic partnership or develops into a more integrated military alliance.

A new strategic balance

The agreement represents an important development in relations between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The three countries have different military capabilities, economic strengths and strategic interests, but their combined resources could give the partnership considerable influence.

For now, the real impact of the Makkah Agreement will depend on how its commitments are implemented. If defence cooperation, military exercises and joint production expand, the pact could become an important part of the security landscape stretching from South Asia to the Middle East.

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