Egypt ‘Seriously’ Considering Joining Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan Defense Pact

Egypt is seriously considering joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan and is prepared to provide Riyadh with broad support following recent attacks by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said.
“Whatever is being asked by the Saudis, of course we will respond,” Abdelatty told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings in Bangkok. “Without any reservation, we are providing all kinds of support.”
Asked specifically about Egyptian military assistance to Saudi Arabia, Abdelatty said Cairo was prepared to respond to requests from Riyadh.
He also said Egyptian membership in the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement “is under serious consideration from the Egyptian side.”
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the trilateral agreement in Mecca on August 7, 2026, as the countries sought a common security position amid the US-Iran war. The pact provides that an attack against one member will be considered an attack against all.
Egypt decided not to join the agreement when it was signed. Abdelatty said Cairo maintains close relations with each of its three members.
Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel was among the issues surrounding potential membership. Article VI prohibits Cairo from entering military alliances that conflict with its obligations to Israel, while Turkey and Pakistan have taken highly adversarial positions toward Israel. Reports also indicated Saudi reservations about Egyptian participation because of diplomatic frictions and differences over regional strategy.
Cairo has additionally sought to preserve its strategic independence and partnerships with India, Greece, Cyprus and the UAE. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has previously said the agreement was designed to allow expansion.
Jonathan Hessen, a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that he doubted Egypt was genuinely preparing to join.
Hessen pointed to a trilateral meeting in Cairo the same day involving the defense ministers of Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, saying it “does not necessarily bode well for the Turkish narrative that Egypt would soon join.”