Syria weighs joining Mecca defence pact, foreign minister says

Syria is considering whether to join the Mecca defence pact, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Saturday. “Discussions are currently underway to evaluate Syria’s entry into the Mecca alliance,” Shaibani told the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain. Under the pact, signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in Mecca in August, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all three. Saudi Arabia has come under heavy fire from Yemen’s Houthis and has been rallying support against the group’s escalating attacks, including a major strike that shut Riyadh’s international airport for two weeks this month. On Friday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said it had intercepted Houthi drones over the Mecca and Medina regions. The group denied carrying out the attacks. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron made a surprise visit to Riyadh and said France had sent troops to help protect a key Saudi oil terminal from Houthi attacks. Britain also announced in October that it would deploy fighter jets to help the kingdom counter the attacks. Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani speaks during a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2026 in Manama, 31 October 2026 (Fadhel Madan / AFP)