ALBAWABA- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday for a one-day working visit, where he is scheduled to hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish officials announced.
The Turkish Presidency's Communications Director, Burhanettin Duran, said Erdogan's visit will focus on bilateral relations and regional developments. Sharif arrived in the Kingdom on Thursday, accompanied by Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and senior officials for separate discussions with Saudi leaders.
The high-level meeting comes amid growing regional security challenges and increasing defense cooperation among the three countries. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement in September 2025, providing for collective defense in the event of an attack on either country.
Turkish and regional media have also reported ongoing discussions on expanding security cooperation to include Ankara, although no formal trilateral defense pact has been announced.
The talks also follow Saudi Arabia's recent initiative to establish a multinational maritime security coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. Fourteen countries, including Turkey and Pakistan, have expressed support for the Saudi-led initiative to safeguard critical international shipping lanes.
The meeting takes place as tensions continue to rise over Yemen, where the Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi-linked shipping and claimed responsibility for attacks on commercial vessels and Saudi oil tankers.
On Thursday, the group also launched one of its deadliest attacks in years on Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces in Ma'rib and Hadhramaut, killing dozens of soldiers and wounding many others.
Against this backdrop, Erdogan, Mohammed bin Salman, and Sharif are expected to discuss regional security, defense cooperation, economic relations, and efforts to protect vital energy and trade routes amid escalating instability across the Middle East.
