Saudi Arabia Turkiye and Pakistan finalize trilateral defence pact

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan are finalizing a trilateral defence agreement to formalize military and industrial cooperation, officials from the three nations confirmed on Saturday, 8 August. The pact aims to synchronize hardware procurement and joint production, marking a shift toward regional self-reliance in military technology. Expanding Defence Cooperation The deal follows high-level discussions held in Riyadh and Istanbul earlier this year, focusing on drone technology, ammunition manufacturing, and intelligence sharing. While non-state actors have characterized the move as the foundation of an "Islamic NATO," government representatives have not used the term, instead framing the partnership as a functional industrial alliance to reduce reliance on Western defence contractors. A specific meeting of the Trilateral Defence Committee is scheduled for later this month to outline the legal framework for technology transfers between Ankara, Riyadh, and Islamabad. The trio already maintains bilateral security ties; Turkiye currently supplies Pakistan with MILGEM-class corvettes, while Saudi Arabia recently signed a $3 billion deal for Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. Regional…