The four countries signed the Badr memorandum of understanding laying groundwork for joint production of military hardware and wider cooperation in training, research and development. It follows a Makkah defense agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in August.
Why it matters: The pact links defense industries across the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia.
Turkey's government submitted the Mecca defense pact, signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August, to parliament for ratification. The text commits signatories to one another's defense, similar to NATO's Article 5, according to Middle East Eye. A Saudi envoy met Pakistan's army chief to discuss progress under the agreement.
Why it matters: The pact would create a new defense alliance linking a NATO member with Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan.
Egypt's parliament postponed a vote on authorising defensive military support for Saudi Arabia, with discussions continuing Monday. Egypt's foreign minister spoke with Saudi and Pakistani counterparts about de-escalation.
Why it matters: Egyptian military involvement would draw the Arab world's most populous nation into the Gulf's escalating conflict.