On 7 August 2026, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement — a mutual-defense pact its signatories describe as defensive rather than directed at any state. This piece examines what the accord signals about middle-power diplomacy, the complementary strengths each country brings to the table, and the geoeconomic stakes — from Gulf energy security to Pakistan's Gwadar corridor — that tie defense cooperation to regional prosperity.
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