Has the gulf’s non-aligned moment arrived with the mecca pact?

The most consequential feature of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is not its alleged resemblance to NATO. It is not a Sunni pact either, and neither it being the first effort by Middle Eastern states to build a regional security framework. This new security triangle represents a broader and more consequential development. As dependence on Washington loosens, the Gulf states are not simply drifting; rather, it shifted towards collective, non-aligned security mechanisms, one that potentially could inspire other heavily aligned nations that are struggling to exit the US orbit. For nearly 80 years, Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia functioned as cornerstone allies of the United States. Turkey is a NATO member, Pakistan was a founding member of the Central Treaty […]