Saudi Arabia

What will happen if Iran, Egypt, Bangladesh join Mecca Joint Defense Agreement? - analysis

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan’s new defense pact is already attracting interest from Bangladesh, Egypt, and Iran. But expansion could reshape regional security, alliances, and power balances.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by their ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, pose after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.
Patriot battery in Greece

Greek-operated Patriot air defense battery engages drone swarm near Saudi Arabian oil facilities

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 17, 2026.

Saudi Arabia considers introducing cheaper insurance to increase shipping in Middle East - report

People walk by a billboard sponsored by the Coalition for Regional Security calling for the expansion of the Abraham Accords, in Ramat Gan, Israel June 26, 2025.

Trump sends Saudi nuclear deal to Congress but says Riyadh must recognize Israel


China’s quiet rise in the Middle East’s new power struggle - opinion

The new Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan alliance signals a shifting Middle East – and China may be the biggest winner as regional powers seek new security partners.

 CHINESE PRESIDENT Xi Jinping meets with then-Saudi deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman during the G20 Summit in Zhejiang province, China, in 2016.

Iran’s Strait of Hormuz leverage is fading as global oil keeps flowing - opinion

Hormuz was Iran’s best card, and it’s already been played and lost. What remains is a regime running out of money, running out of allies, and running out of time.

Map of Strait of Hormuz published by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Navy of the area controlled by the Iranian Armed Forces, May 4, 2026.

Saudi vessel attacked in Red Sea, national shipping company confirms following Houthi claims

The Houthis have carried out attacks on Saudi oil facilities and shipping in the Red Sea in recent weeks, and they claimed to have targeted Saudi oil giant Aramco facilities in Yanbu in July.

A commercial vessel passes through an international shipping lane off Yemen's Hanish Island in the Red Sea on July 27, 2026; Illustrative.

Flexible and shifting alliances in the region instead of blocs - opinion

Among other things, the Mecca Agreement includes a clause stipulating that any aggression against one member of the alliance will be considered aggression against all three.

TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, pose after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca last Friday.

Voices from the Arab Press: The Mecca agreement changes the equation

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

TURKISH NAVY FORCES aboard the TCG Gaziantep (F-490), a guided-missile frigate, ahead of launch of drilling vessel ‘Cagri Bey,’ set to conduct Turkey’s first deep-sea drilling operation in the Indian Ocean near the Mogadishu seaport, in Somalia, April 10.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan invited Iran to join newly-established Mecca defense pact - report

The invitation has not yet been officially confirmed by Iran's Foreign Ministry or by any of the three countries that are parties to the agreement.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Implications for Israel, India: Is the Mecca pact a dangerous piece of theatre? - opinion

Israel and India's strongest response to a new security bloc may not be another bloc. It is the ability to stand independently and to have capable partners standing with you.

TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, next to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca, on August 7, 2026.

Syrian FM says Damascus mulling Mecca Joint Defense pact, but rejects strengthening Iran ties

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani visited Islamabad for the first visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Pakistan since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani speaks during a joint press conference with Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (not pictured) in Beirut, Lebanon, July 2, 2026.

Saudi Arabia tightens regulations on money flow to UAE, in latest sign of deepening rift

The measures, which were not announced publicly, could help explain why a number of companies say they have had difficulties transferring funds from accounts in Saudi Arabia to the UAE recently.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, stands for a photograph with Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 3, 2025; illustrative.

Saudi textbooks continue reforms, remove antisemitic content - report

According to the findings, the remaining examples of antisemitic content identified in previous IMPACT-se reviews have now been completely removed from Saudi textbooks.

Saudi students sit for their final high school exams in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah on June 19, 2010 at the end of 2009/10 school year; illustrative