Syria Weighs Joining Mecca Defense Alliance, Foreign Minister Says

Syria is considering joining the Mecca Defense Alliance, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Saturday, Oct. 31. He spoke at the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. No formal application or final decision has been announced, Daily Sabah reports.

What Al-Shaibani Said

“Discussions are currently underway to evaluate Syria’s entry into the Mecca alliance,” al-Shaibani said, according to AFP. Daily Sabah says the remarks show Damascus is seriously examining membership.

In the same session, al-Shaibani said Syria stands “shoulder to shoulder” with the Gulf states and Jordan against any aggression. He condemned missile and drone attacks on the region, Roya News reported.

He also said Syria has faced more than 1,000 Israeli attacks in less than two years, killing dozens. He called for a return to the lines held before Dec. 8, 2024, and for the 1974 Disengagement Agreement to be activated. He added that the Golan is Syrian land.

What the Alliance Is

Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the pact in Mecca on Aug. 7. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed it. Clash Report covered the signing that day.

Its core clause treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all three. Türkiye Today says the text mirrors NATO's Article 5. The pact also cites the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.

It also covers intelligence sharing, joint exercises, counterterrorism and defense-industrial cooperation. A Strategic Political and Defence Committee oversees it, and a secretariat is planned for Riyadh. Retired Pakistani Lt. Gen. Nauman Mahmood is the first secretary-general, serving a three-year term.

Daily Sabah says the pact builds on a Saudi-Pakistani mutual defense agreement signed in September 2025. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have completed ratification. Türkiye's parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee approved the deal on Oct. 27, and the bill now goes to the General Assembly.

How Syria's Interest Developed

Al-Shaibani first acknowledged Syria's interest in late August, during a visit to Islamabad. Daily Sabah says it was the first visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly two decades. “We don’t have a decision right now whether to join or not to join this alliance,” he said then.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Riyadh on Oct. 6 for talks with the crown prince. Syrian officials later denied reports that Damascus could send military help to Saudi Arabia. They said any cooperation would go through established bilateral channels, according to Daily Sabah.

Houthi Attacks Raise the Stakes

Saudi Arabia is under heavy fire from Yemen's Houthis, AFP reports. A strike this month closed Riyadh's international airport for two weeks.

Renewed attacks led to an emergency alliance meeting in Riyadh in October. Daily Sabah says the members agreed to deploy forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia. AFP notes that Pakistan and Türkiye have not announced any attacks on the Houthis.

Open Questions on Membership

Membership needs the unanimous approval of the three founders, Daily Sabah says. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said accession conditions and procedures still need talks. He said work on a roadmap is under way.

Pakistan's army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, says there is “no bar on anybody joining or not joining.” He added that “everyone is most welcome.”

Syria's army is still being rebuilt, Daily Sabah notes, so meaningful participation could take time. Any accession would also require careful handling of ties with Israel and Iran.

Egypt remains outside the pact. U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack said in Doha on Thursday that Cairo has a treaty with Israel and a security agreement with Greece, Türkiye Today reported. Cairo has not publicly explained why it stayed out.