Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Jeddah on Friday as regional powers step up diplomatic efforts to address growing security concerns in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for a three day visit, leading a delegation that includes Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, along with senior ministers and officials. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the visit is aimed at reviewing bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia and discussing recent regional developments, according to Arab News.
Erdoğan’s office also confirmed that the Turkish president would make a one-day working visit to Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to hold separate talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Sharif.
The high level meetings come at a delicate moment for the region. Tensions remain elevated following months of conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Although US President Donald Trump recently announced that planned American strikes on Iran had been canceled after what he described as progress toward a regional agreement, uncertainty continues over the broader security situation. Iran has also announced an agreement with Oman on a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
Adding to the significance of the Jeddah talks, international news agency AFP reported, citing sources, that Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan are expected to sign a new joint defense agreement. Neither Saudi, Turkish nor Pakistani officials have confirmed the report or disclosed details of any such arrangement. If concluded, the agreement would mark a further step in expanding security cooperation among the three countries.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already signed a landmark defense pact in September 2025, strengthening long standing military cooperation between the two nations.
Separately, the Saudi Press Agency reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, maritime security, regional stability, and ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, underscoring continued international engagement in efforts to reduce tensions across the region.
