What are the challenges facing the Mecca agreement?

Saudi Arabia turns to Turkiye and Pakistan for defence ties, raising questions overreliance on the US.Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye have signed a joint defence pact.It is an alliance that analysts say highlights Riyadh’s desire to diversify its defence partnerships, expanding to Ankara and Islamabad.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Yemen’s government forces attack Houthis amid renewed shelling of Mariblist 2 of 3Iran deliberates Hormuz arrangement amid uncertain prospects with USlist 3 of 3Saudi-Pakistan-Turkiye pact: A new shield or strategic signal?end of listThe pact was announced at a time of increased regional tension.Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has launched a military operation against the Iran-aligned Houthis following a series of attacks, while Iran and the US have yet to reach a final deal to end the war.The trilateral Mecca pact raises questions about the effectiveness of the decades-long US military presence in the Gulf. Does this alliance offer a viable alternative to the security umbrella promised by Washington?Presenter: Anna Burns-FrancisGuests:Abdulaziz Alghashian – Senior non-resident fellow at the Gulf International ForumDavid Des Roches – Professor at the Thayer Marshall InstituteZaid M Belbagi – Managing partner at Hardcastle Advisory