Media: Egypt unlikely to join Türkiye-Saudi-Pakistan defence pact soon

Egypt is unlikely to join the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defence signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan in the near term, according to Egyptian sources cited by Al-Akhbar.

The sources said Cairo had participated in a quadrilateral coordination mechanism with the three countries and hosted a meeting of the platform on June 21 last year. Egypt was also aware of the arrangements that led to the defence agreement.

📰 لا تبدو مصر في وارد الانضمام قريباً إلى «اتفاقية مكة للدفاع المشترك» الموقّعة بين السعودية وتركيا وباكستان، بحسب ما تقدّره مصادر مصرية مطّلعة في حديثها إلى «الأخبار». إذ رغم أن القاهرة «شاركت في آلية التنسيق الرباعية مع الدول الثلاث، كما استضافت، في 21 حزيران الماضي، اجتماعاً… pic.twitter.com/xidPNpgVF0

— جريدة الأخبار - Al-Akhbar (@AlakhbarNews) August 12, 2026

However, the sources said this involvement did not mean Egypt was prepared to quickly endorse a military alliance based on mutual defence commitments.

Egypt’s participation in the quadrilateral mechanism was primarily focused on consultations over regional crises, information sharing and coordination of political positions, according to the sources.

The Joint Defence Agreement would create broader obligations for its members, including determining how a country should respond if an ally comes under attack, whether it would be required to provide military assistance or adopt a specific political position, and what consequences it could face if a conflict takes place outside its territory.

The sources indicated that these questions make Egypt cautious about moving from a coordination framework to a formal mutual-defence arrangement.

By Sabina Mammadli