Syria weighs joining Mecca defence pact, minister says

Syria's foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani said at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on Saturday that discussions are under way to evaluate Syria's entry into the Mecca defence pact binding Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan.

Why it matters: Syrian entry would widen the mutual defence alliance formed in August around Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks on the kingdom escalate, and it would deepen Damascus's alignment with Riyadh, a key backer of President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government.

Data as of Al Jazeera report of October 31, 2026, bylined AFP and Anadolu, read in full in this run via the live browser. The remarks are Syria's foreign minister speaking in public at the Manama Dialogue; no entry decision has been announced, and no pact member government has confirmed the discussions on the record.

Syria is evaluating whether to join the Mecca defence pact, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on Saturday, telling the conference that discussions are currently under way on Syria’s entry into the alliance. He said Damascus is an integral part of regional security, would support any framework aimed at protecting regional stability, and stressed that the region needs joint deterrence and defence systems more than ever.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan in August, treats an attack on one member as an attack on all, and Pakistan and Turkiye have pledged military support to Riyadh against Houthi attacks, though neither has announced any attacks on the Houthis. Al-Shaibani also said Syria backs Yemen’s Saudi-backed internationally recognised government in its fight against the Houthis, and said Israel has carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Syria in less than two years.

Syria weighs joining Mecca defence pact, minister says

Sources