Saudi Arabia has Pakistan’s public backing against Yemen’s Houthis. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared this week that any enemy of the Kingdom is an enemy of Pakistan, leaving little room for ambiguity.
He said Pakistan was bound by an arrangement to defend the Kingdom, and that “whatever means are available at our disposal” would be open to Riyadh, whether the threat comes from the Houthis, a state or another armed group.
What the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement Requires
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026. Its core clause treats an armed attack on any one member as an attack on all three.
It builds on the bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed on September 17, 2025. A permanent secretariat will sit in Riyadh, and Pakistan supplies the first secretary general for a three-year term.
How the Houthi Escalation Unfolded
The Houthis announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began targeting Saudi-linked ships in the Red Sea. A massive missile and drone barrage followed on September 8, striking military and energy sites.
Riyadh said at least 73 people were wounded in the September 8 strikes on southern areas. Saudi air defences intercepted many projectiles, yet the barrage marked the most serious escalation since the 2022 truce.
| Date (2026) | Development |
|---|---|
| July | Houthis announce a naval blockade on the Kingdom |
| August 7 | Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed |
| August 31 | Alliance holds first meeting in Istanbul |
| September 8 | Houthi barrage; Riyadh reports 73 wounded |
| September 15 | Drone intercepted south of Makkah |
| September 25 | Military chiefs meet in Riyadh |
| September 30 | Asif’s remarks published |
The Drone Near Makkah That Raised the Stakes
Saudi air defences intercepted a Houthi drone south of Makkah at 6:50 p.m. on September 15, before it reached restricted airspace. The coalition called it the second Houthi attempt to target the holy city, after 2017.
READ MORE: Makkah Defence Alliance Moves From Paper to Practice
The Houthis denied it, calling the claim “an outright lie”. Asif told a television programme on September 16: “If Makkah is attacked, there is no need for an agreement to protect it.”
Riyadh Talks Push the Pact Toward Operations
On September 25, the military chiefs of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye met in Riyadh. Field Marshal Asim Munir represented Pakistan, and the military’s media wing said the chiefs would immediately translate commitments into effective cooperation.
They discussed intelligence cooperation, military coordination and capability integration. Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman later met Munir and said both sides affirmed joint efforts to confront attacks on Makkah and civilian and economic facilities.
What “Whatever Means” Could Look Like
Asif declined to say whether Pakistani forces have joined airstrikes, and did not say whether Saudi Arabia has formally requested help. He also avoided any mention of nuclear weapons in describing Pakistan’s commitment.
Pakistan already keeps troops in the kingdom, at least 8,000 by most estimates, alongside fighter squadrons and air defence units. That is an estimate, not an official count, so the scale of any added deployment remains unclear.
Iran, Proxies and Pakistan’s Balancing Act
Asif said Tehran does not accept the Houthis as its proxy, adding that state-backed groups can turn rogue. Pakistan, he said, still presses for negotiations and supports reviving a negotiated nuclear agreement with Tehran.
Sinem Cengiz, a researcher at Qatar University’s Gulf Studies Center, says the pact should not be pulled into every flare-up. The core dilemma for Islamabad is honouring Riyadh without being dragged into a wider war.
What Remains Unverified
Several points remain unconfirmed. Reports differ on the date of Asif’s remarks, with some placing them in Rome on September 29 and others dated September 30, and no report reviewed confirms Pakistani participation in strikes.
The Houthis reject Saudi claims about Makkah, and some of their battlefield statements, including 52 alleged Saudi airstrikes in one day, were not independently verified. Old drone footage from Madinah has also circulated falsely as recent Makkah video.
What the Pledge Means for Pakistan’s Obligations
On paper, the pact’s attack-on-one clause is broad, yet analysts note it does not automatically require Pakistani combat inside Yemen. Protecting Saudi territory and infrastructure differs from joining an offensive campaign against the Houthis.
Asif’s latest wording reads broader than his September 8 statement, when he said the pact would become operational if Yemen’s fighting spilled into Saudi Arabia. Whether that shift signals new commitments is unclear.
Energy and Shipping Stakes for Saudi Arabia
The Houthis’ blockade targets Saudi-linked Red Sea shipping, and fighting near that corridor has unsettled global markets. Saudi Arabia is routing roughly four million barrels a day around Hormuz through its east-west pipeline to Yanbu.
That pipeline was shut temporarily after drone attacks in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, according to reports from mid-September. Gulf and Muslim organisations condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the Kingdom.
What to Watch Next
The alliance now faces its first real stress test, and the gap between rhetoric and action will define its credibility. So far, no account reviewed describes a new Pakistani deployment.
Pressure on Islamabad would rise, one published analysis argues, if attacks hit critical infrastructure, Saudi soil were invaded, or the holy cities were threatened. Those triggers give readers concrete markers to follow in the coming weeks.
- A formal Saudi request for Pakistani military assistance
- Any announced Pakistani deployment beyond existing forces
- Further attacks on Makkah, Madinah or energy infrastructure
- Progress in the Iran-related negotiations Pakistan says it supports
