Pakistan has appointed retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the first secretary general of the Makkah Defence Alliance, marking an important step in establishing the alliance’s permanent institutional structure. The Foreign Office said the secretary general will lead the General Secretariat being established in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The appointment comes weeks after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye agreed that the secretariat of their trilateral defence framework would initially be headed by a Pakistani secretary general. The decision was part of efforts to turn the agreement between the three countries into a more structured mechanism for defence and security cooperation.
Nauman Mahmood to Lead Secretariat
The Foreign Office announced the appointment on Wednesday, describing Nauman Mahmood as the first secretary general under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, the original name of the pact.
Retired Lt Gen Mahmood will now oversee the General Secretariat in Riyadh. His immediate responsibility will include helping establish the institutional machinery required for the alliance and coordinating between the three participating countries.
The position comes at an early stage of the Makkah Defence Alliance, meaning the secretariat will have to develop procedures and mechanisms for implementing decisions agreed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
According to reporting on the appointment, Mahmood brings experience from a military career that included field command, intelligence, strategic analysis and professional military education.
Agreement Signed in August
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, establishing a framework for closer cooperation between the three countries.
The agreement was followed by the inaugural meeting of its Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Istanbul on August 31. Foreign, defence and military officials from all three countries attended the meeting.
Pakistan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
Saudi Arabia was represented by Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, while Türkiye’s delegation included Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of the Turkish General Staff Selcuk Bayraktaroglu.
The Istanbul meeting focused on further institutionalising cooperation under the agreement. The joint statement said a secretariat would be established in Saudi Arabia and initially headed by a Pakistani secretary general for three years.
Focus on Regional Security
The Makkah Defence Alliance has been described by officials as a framework focused on the security and defence interests of its three members.
The three countries said their cooperation would include efforts related to regional peace, stability, de-escalation and collective defence. The Istanbul joint statement also referred to strengthening defence capabilities and improving cooperation in areas such as defence industry, technology development and production.
Officials from the participating countries have also said the alliance is not directed against a particular country. Instead, they have presented it as a mechanism for strengthening cooperation among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
The creation of a permanent secretariat is therefore a significant administrative step because it provides a formal structure through which the three countries can coordinate their activities.
Possible Expansion Remains a Question
There has also been discussion about whether other countries could eventually become part of the Makkah Defence Alliance.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan previously said Türkiye expected Egypt to join at a later stage, although he indicated that some technical issues needed to be addressed.
Bangladesh has also expressed a positive approach toward potentially joining an economic or defence framework involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, while emphasising that its own national interests would be considered.
However, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has indicated that immediate expansion is not currently the priority. In a September briefing, the ministry said the three founding members first needed to strengthen their own organisational structure before considering wider participation.
This means the appointment of the first secretary general is particularly relevant to the alliance’s next phase.
With Nauman Mahmood now appointed, attention will shift toward establishing the Riyadh-based secretariat and developing the working mechanisms of the Makkah Defence Alliance.
The secretary general will be responsible for helping coordinate the alliance’s institutional activities and maintaining communication among the three member states. The role is expected to become particularly important as the countries work to translate their political commitments into practical defence cooperation.
The alliance’s initial three-year arrangement gives Pakistan the responsibility of providing its first secretary general, while Saudi Arabia hosts the secretariat.
For now, the priority remains building the organisation and strengthening coordination between its founding members. Future discussions about additional members or broader cooperation are likely to depend on how the three countries develop the alliance’s institutional framework.
The appointment of Nauman Mahmood therefore represents the beginning of a new administrative phase for the Makkah Defence Alliance, as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye move from signing the defence agreement toward establishing a functioning trilateral security structure.
