Overview
- Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani told the Manama Dialogue on Saturday that Damascus is holding discussions to evaluate joining the Makkah pact but has made no final decision.
- The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan and says an attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all, with Türkiye still completing ratification.
- Damascus said it would back frameworks that protect regional stability and affirmed support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government while denying any request from Riyadh for Syrian ground troops.
- The pact gained urgency after recent Houthi strikes on Saudi targets that disrupted Riyadh’s airport and prompted Western deployments, and Pakistani and Turkish officials insist the agreement is defensive and open to new members only by political decision.
- If Syria joins it could bring closer security integration with Gulf states and Türkiye, but accession depends on leader-level approvals and risks drawing members into Yemen-era tensions and wider military entanglements.