Saudi Arabia is facing a difficult test. Houthi missile and drone attacks have exposed weaknesses in its security, including strikes affecting vital infrastructure. On the other hand, Israel has reportedly offered a helping hand to Riyadh, with the US busy with midterm elections.
“The Makkah Pact is symbolic. Mostly vibes, unless Pakistan and Turkey bend courtesy to help their friend. This can only be made possible if the public is occupied elsewhere. Current trends point to Saudis accepting Israel at least, and MBS exonerated,” a seasoned foreign policy professor told ProPakistani.
He said the latest Saudi-Houthi clash is a testament that even a country with vast wealth and advanced weapons and war pacts cannot eliminate threats through military spending alone. “Saudis are openly considering the possibility of joining the Abraham Accords,” he added.
MBS Stance
For Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the problem is bigger than intercepting missiles. His teams are openly engaged on both sides. Israel and the Gulf.
He wants Saudi Arabia to protect its oil infrastructure, maintain investor confidence and prevent a regional war from damaging its economic ambitions. Some readers call these ambitions selfish because MBS is known to involve himself with taboo.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Pakistan and Turkey offers Riyadh another layer of support. Signed in August 2026, the pact treats an attack on one an attack on all three.
Turkey has already provided defensive and technical assistance to Saudi Arabia, although the agreement’s practical obligations are a black hole.
Blank Cheque
Because an alliance is not a blank cheque. Pakistan has its own economic pressures, security concerns and politics. It cannot afford to enter an expanding war without clearly defining its national interests.
Supporting regional stability, helping prevent escalation and protecting Pakistan’s own interests is the only true agenda for us.
The Issue of Gulf Monarchies
There is also a larger question that military alliances cannot answer. How long can Gulf monarchies rely on wealth, security partnerships and centralized power without addressing demands for political participation and accountability?
Saudi Arabia and its neighbours have transformed their economies and societies in many ways. Yet sustainable stability requires more than economic development.
Citizens should have a meaningful voice in how their countries are governed and how national wealth is spent.
It would be premature to declare MBS finished or predict the collapse of Saudi Arabia’s ruling system. But the current crisis offers a clear lesson: threat exists for both to fall/switch sides.
Pakistan should stand by its commitments without surrendering its strategic independence.
Saudi Arabia needs a security strategy that combines defence, diplomacy and domestic reform. For all the problems that exist, Pakistan cannot stop them from accepting Israel.
Turkey recognized Israel in 1949 so nothing big can be expected of it in the near term.
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