Somalia Considers Joining Major Defense Pact with Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan
Somalia is considering joining a new defense partnership between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, potentially strengthening military cooperation and security ties across the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region.
MOGADISHU (Somali Report) — Somalia is emerging as one of the countries showing strong interest in joining a new defense and security partnership recently established by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, as the three countries seek to strengthen military cooperation and regional security.
Somalia’s Ministry of Defense has welcomed the agreement, expressing confidence in its objectives and its potential contribution to strengthening peace and security in the region and beyond.
“The Federal Government of Somalia has always welcomed every initiative aimed at strengthening security and defense cooperation among friendly countries in order to achieve a secure and prosperous region,” the Somali Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Somalia’s position comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called on other countries concerned to consider joining the new defense cooperation framework.
Reports indicate that Somalia is considering becoming part of the agreement, particularly given its close security and defense relations with several of the countries involved in the initiative.
Türkiye has played a significant role in strengthening Somalia’s military capabilities through training, military assistance and security cooperation. Saudi Arabia remains an important partner for Somalia within the Arab and Gulf region, while Pakistan has maintained military and defense ties with Somalia, including cooperation in training and capacity building.
Somalia’s potential participation could have wider implications for security cooperation in the Horn of Africa, particularly as Mogadishu works to strengthen its national armed forces and gradually assume greater responsibility for the country’s security.
The strategic location of Somalia is another major factor behind the potential importance of such an agreement. Somalia has one of Africa’s longest coastlines and occupies a strategically important position along the Gulf of Aden, close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime routes connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.
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The new partnership between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan therefore carries significance beyond conventional military cooperation. The three countries possess different but complementary sources of political, economic and military influence and appear increasingly interested in developing stronger security coordination.
Saudi Arabia brings significant financial resources and political influence in the Gulf and wider Arab world. Türkiye has a powerful military and a rapidly expanding domestic defense industry, while Pakistan possesses a large and experienced military and is the only Muslim-majority country with nuclear weapons.
The emerging partnership also comes at a time of growing uncertainty over the traditional security architecture of the Middle East and surrounding regions. Saudi Arabia, in particular, has historically relied heavily on its security relationship with the United States, while recent missile and drone attacks involving Iran and groups aligned with Tehran have highlighted vulnerabilities facing the Gulf region.
The proposed cooperation does not necessarily mean that the three countries intend to replace the United States as the dominant security actor in the region. Instead, it could reflect a growing desire among regional powers to develop additional security arrangements and reduce their dependence on a single external security guarantor.
For Somalia, joining such an arrangement could provide an opportunity to deepen defense cooperation with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan while potentially increasing the country’s strategic role in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.
However, it remains unclear whether Somalia will formally request membership or receive an official invitation to join the partnership. The precise obligations, security guarantees and military commitments that could apply to potential new members have also yet to be fully clarified.
If Somalia ultimately becomes part of the initiative, the decision could mark a significant new phase in Mogadishu’s defense diplomacy and further strengthen its strategic relationships with Ankara, Riyadh and Islamabad.
About the Author
Bashir Guhad is a reporter at Somali Report covering politics, security, business, and trade across the Somali region.