Syria in negotiations about joining Makkah pact, says Foreign Minister

Show caption: Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Al Shaibani speaking at IISS M…

Assad Al Shaibani touted Syria's 'very special relationship' with Turkey, one of the Makkah pact's three members

Syria sees Gulf security as part of its own and has been in "negotiations" about whether to join the Makkah agreement, Foreign Minister Assad Al Shaibani said at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on Saturday.

"Regarding Makkah pact integration, there are some negotiations on this issue and regardless of whether it is in the pact or not, or any other pact, Syria is part of the security of this region and it'll stand by any organisation that protects the security of this area," he said, stressing the need for co-operation in deterrence and defence.

Mr Shaibani touted Syria's "very special" relationship with Turkey, which is part of the Makkah agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and Syria's shared economic and military collaboration with the country.

The Makkah pact was signed in August and views an attack on one country as an attack on all, and came two months before the Iran-backed Houthis launched deadly attacks at several airports across the kingdom in recent weeks.

Saudi Arabia has since been looking to bolster international support for its fight against the Houthi rebels. Syria's President Ahmad Al Sharaa was in Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

The Syrian government has repeatedly emphasised the importance of Gulf security in relation to Syria's own, but denied reports that the kingdom had asked Syria for ground troops to fight the Houthis in Yemen.

The Makkah pact is widely viewed as a significant development in regional security, particularly in the long term, but is not currently being employed in Yemen, experts have said.

Most recently, the three Makkah pact member states made a trip to Tehran in a bid to de-escalate tensions amidst fears of a return of a wider war between the US and Iran.

The trip was aimed at starting a third channel of communication aside from the current mediators Pakistan and Qatar, a security source told The National.

Updated:

October 31, 2026, 11:34 AM