The defence chiefs and chiefs of general staff from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye gathered in Riyadh on Friday to assess regional security developments and bolster military collaboration under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA).
The discussions centered on the security challenges and threats confronting Saudi Arabia, with a unified condemnation of attacks targeting Makkah, as well as civilian and economic infrastructure. The military leaders commended the Saudi armed forces for their vigilance and professionalism in safeguarding the nation’s population and maintaining stability.
Measures to deepen defence cooperation among the three countries were also explored, including enhanced intelligence sharing, improved military coordination, and integration of capabilities. These efforts aim to strengthen deterrence and collective defence in the region.
Highlighting the long-standing relationships and mutual trust among their armed forces, the participants noted that the Riyadh meeting underscored the robustness of their defence partnership. They reaffirmed their dedication to the practical implementation of the MJDA and emphasized their collective commitment to defending Saudi Arabia’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
In a significant development earlier this week, Pakistan appointed retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the first secretary general of the alliance. This appointment marks a crucial step toward institutionalizing the trilateral security framework.
Lt Gen Mahmood will lead the alliance’s General Secretariat, currently being established in Riyadh under the MJDA. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye had agreed at the inaugural meeting of the alliance’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Istanbul on August 31 that Islamabad would provide the secretary general for the initial three-year term. The meeting also resolved to establish the alliance’s permanent secretariat in Riyadh.
The secretariat is expected to serve as an institutional hub for coordination among the three nations, managing joint initiatives, defence and technology cooperation, and the execution of collective defence commitments.
Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood retired from the Pakistan Army in April 2023 after a distinguished career spanning operational command, intelligence, strategic analysis, and military education. Commissioned into the Baloch Regiment in 1987, he held several instructional roles at the Command and Staff College and commanded an infantry division in North Waziristan during counterterrorism operations.
He later served as director general of the Analysis Directorate at Inter-Services Intelligence and as inspector general of Communications and Information Technology at General Headquarters. In December 2019, he assumed command of XI Corps in Peshawar, overseeing the corps during a critical period marked by heightened security concerns along Pakistan’s western border and the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Prior to retirement, he was president of the National Defence University, serving as its 35th head. As the alliance’s first secretary general, his immediate responsibility will be to establish the alliance’s institutional framework and transform the political commitments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye into actionable defence cooperation.
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