So much for President Erdogan’s bold dreams of hegemony and influence.
[GaroweOnline] Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...opposed Egypt’s inclusion in a new defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistain in Mecca, Middle East Eye (MEE) reported, citing three Saudi sources familiar with the discussions.
The sources said Riyadh had become increasingly frustrated with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government, questioning Egypt’s strategic value and reliability on key regional security issues.
The agreement was signed in Mecca on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
...Crown Prince and modernizer of Saudi Arabia as of 2016. The Turks hate him, so he must be all right, despite the occasional brutal murder of Qatar-owned journalists...
, Ottoman Turkish President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First
...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important...
and Pak Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. It commits the three countries to consider an armed attack against any one of them an attack against all three, although it does not specify how the commitment would be activated or what military assistance would be provided.
According to the Saudi sources, Riyadh’s concerns included Egypt’s limited role in the Saudi-led campaign against Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
’s Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the
Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is
God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the JewsThey like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
rebels and what they described as Cairo’s insufficient support during the recent US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
They also cited Egypt’s close ties with the United Arab Emirates, amid growing Saudi-Emirati tensions over regional issues, including Yemen.
The sources further questioned Egypt’s military effectiveness and reliability, contrasting it with Turkiye’s advanced defence industry and Pakistain’s established arms production capabilities and large standing army.
Ottoman Turkish sources, meanwhile, told MEE that Ankara had actively pushed for Egypt to join the pact and formally proposed its inclusion. Ottoman Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan later described Egypt as a "natural partner", suggesting Cairo could join at a later stage once technical issues are resolved.
A former senior Saudi adviser close to decision-making dismissed claims that Egypt had rejected membership, arguing that Cairo would have welcomed the financial benefits of joining. The adviser also criticised Egypt’s longstanding reliance on Saudi, US and other external support without providing equivalent strategic returns.
The Mecca pact marks a closer security partnership between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistain, while leaving open the possibility that other countries, including Egypt, could join at a later stage.