The signing ceremony took place in Mecca during a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif was accompanied by Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, who traveled to Jeddah with him.
According to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, under the agreement an attack on any of the three states "will be considered an attack on all participants." In a joint statement, the parties said the pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence against "all manifestations of aggression."
The specific commitments of each participant have not been disclosed. An unnamed Turkish official said the agreement is not directed against any state, is open to other countries in the region joining, and does not supersede existing international arrangements. Negotiations on the document lasted about a year, according to Reuters.
The trilateral pact comes amid the war between the United States and Iran and the escalation of the Middle East conflict, which has affected Saudi Arabia and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. The conflict has strengthened the position of Tehran and its backed Yemeni Houthi rebels, who have struck the kingdom's territory and attacked Saudi oil tankers, declaring a naval blockade. According to AFP, the agreement was preceded by the collapse of a ceasefire between Riyadh and the Houthis in Yemen.
Analysts note that the United States is increasingly seen by regional allies as a less reliable security partner. Last year, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan already signed a bilateral mutual defense agreement.
An AFP source close to the Saudi army leadership said the agreement had been discussed for a long time, but "recent events in the region have significantly accelerated the process."