12/ The Mecca Pact is therefore about more than Saudi Arabiaโs relationship with Turkey and Pakistan.
It could mark a shift in how Gulf states organize their security.
I examine what that means for the GCC in the full article. https://t.co/oR4NSr5Y0x
1/ The Mecca Pact raises a bigger question than whether Saudi Arabia is adding two new security partners.
What happens to the GCC when its most powerful member starts building its security architecture elsewhere?
11/ That does not necessarily mean the GCC will disappear.
The more important change could be its role.
The GCC may remain intact while becoming less important to the regionโs external security architecture.
My latest Substack examines why Pakistan has emerged as the preferred partner, why Turkey and Egypt have not, and what these reports tell us about the future of Gulf security.
https://t.co/Evuvq7E0jf
๐งต Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan are reportedly exploring closer defense cooperation with Pakistan.
The reports remain unconfirmed.
I would still take them seriously.
12/
The military implications may prove modest.
The strategic implications deserve closer attention.
Regional security architectures rarely change through a single alliance.
They evolve through a series of smaller decisions that gradually reshape patterns of cooperation.