Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey defence chiefs meet in Riyadh amid regional tensions

The military chiefs of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met in Riyadh on Friday to discuss strengthening intelligence sharing, military coordination and the integration of defence capabilities amid heightened regional security concerns.

The chiefs of defence forces and chiefs of general staff reviewed the security situation and threats facing Saudi Arabia, according to statements issued by Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry and Pakistan's military.

The officials condemned attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels targeting Makkah and Saudi Arabia's civilian and economic infrastructure. They also discussed measures to further strengthen cooperation among the armed forces of the three countries.

The meeting comes weeks after Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, under which an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all three.

The agreement followed nearly a year of negotiations and was presented by the signatories as a framework to strengthen collective deterrence and military cooperation.