A major defence deal between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan is set to be signed in Jeddah, reigniting speculation about an 'Islamic NATO' and prompting close observation from New Delhi. The agreement, confirmed by sources despite a lack of explicit official mention, follows previous defence pacts and is seen as a significant development for regional security and power dynamics in the Middle East, with potential implications for India's strategic interests and relationships.

A major defence deal between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan is set to be signed in Jeddah, reigniting speculation about an 'Islamic NATO' and prompting close observation from New Delhi. The agreement, confirmed by sources despite a lack of explicit official mention, follows previous defence pacts and is seen as a significant development for regional security and power dynamics in the Middle East, with potential implications for India's strategic interests and relationships.

A major defence deal between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan is set to be signed in Jeddah, reigniting speculation about an 'Islamic NATO' and prompting close observation from New Delhi. The agreement, confirmed by sources despite a lack of explicit official mention, follows previous defence pacts and is seen as a significant development for regional security and power dynamics in the Middle East, with potential implications for India's strategic interests and relationships.

In a move being closely watched in New Delhi, a major defence deal will be signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in Jeddah on Friday, according to reports. While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will fly to Saudi Arabia on Friday, reports say that Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir is already in Saudi Arabia.

A communique from Erdogan’s office read: “Our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will pay a one-day working visit to Saudi Arabia on August 7, 2026. During the visit, our President is scheduled to meet with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif,” it read, without any mention of a defence agreement.

However, a source close to the Saudi government, who spoke to AFP, confirmed that the agreement will be signed on Friday. "It had been under discussion for a long time, but recent developments in the region accelerated it," he added.

Pakistan's foreign ministry too confirmed Munir’s visit was taking place from August 6 to 8. "Although taking place against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Gulf, the visit will carry significance beyond the immediate crisis and short-term considerations," foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday.

The agreement has renewed talks about Islamic NATO, a unified military bloc of Muslim-majority nations aimed at defending collective interests. Last year, Pakistan signed a "Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement" with Saudi Arabia. Under this agreement, an attack on one party is considered an attack on both countries.

Islamabad’s increasing efforts to insert itself into the Middle Eastern strategic equation and the emergence of an Islamic NATO would carry significant implications for Gulf security, Middle Eastern power dynamics, and global strategic calculations.

The coalition is being watched closely in New Delhi, especially in the wake of India’s deteriorated relations with Turkey, following Ankara’s stance on Operation Sindhoor. For New Delhi, the defence pact means an emboldened Pakistan when it comes to pushing its agenda in Kashmir and the overall security situation in South Asia.

Though India is countering Turkey-Pakistan’s alliance by sharing defence ties with Turkey’s rivals, including Cyprus, it will also have to ramp up its ties with its allies, including Israel and the US, to counter potential destabilisation in the Gulf and Pakistan’s enhanced regional influence.

According to Dr. Imran Khurshid is associate research fellow, International Centre for Peace Studies, New Delhi, the Islamic NATO discourse warrants calm assessment rather than alarm.

“For India, the appropriate response is strategic patience: monitoring developments, strengthening partnerships and avoiding reactive policymaking. In geopolitics, symbolic posturing often masks deeper dependencies, and the so-called Islamic NATO is a textbook example of this reality,” he added.

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