Saudi Arabia excludes Egypt from new defence alliance
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia blocked Egypt from joining a new defence pact with Türkiye and Pakistan, citing concerns over Cairo’s strategic value and dependability on regional security matters, Middle East Eye (MEE) reported, quoting three Saudi sources familiar with the talks.
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The sources said Riyadh’s frustration with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government had grown steadily. Saudi officials, they said, questioned Egypt’s contribution to regional security and its reliability on several key issues.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement in Mecca on August 7. Under the pact, an armed attack on one member is to be treated as an attack on all three. However, the agreement does not explain how that provision would be triggered or what military support members would be expected to provide.
Saudi sources pointed to Egypt’s limited involvement in the Saudi-led campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. They also said Cairo had offered insufficient backing during the recent US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Egypt’s close relationship with the United Arab Emirates was another concern, the sources said, particularly as tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have intensified over regional matters, including Yemen.
The Saudi officials also raised doubts about Egypt’s military performance and reliability. They contrasted Cairo’s capabilities with Türkiye’s increasingly advanced defence industry and Pakistan’s established arms manufacturing sector and large standing army.
Turkish sources told MEE that Ankara had pressed for Egypt to be included and had formally put forward its membership. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan later called Egypt a “natural partner”, indicating that Cairo might join in the future after technical issues are settled.
A former senior Saudi adviser with close ties to the decision-making process rejected claims that Egypt had turned down membership. The adviser argued that Cairo would likely have welcomed the financial advantages of joining the alliance, while criticising Egypt’s long reliance on Saudi, US and other outside assistance without delivering comparable strategic benefits.
The Mecca agreement strengthens security cooperation among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan but leaves the door open for additional members, including Egypt, to join at a later date.
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