Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned an attempted Houthi drone attack near Makkah, reaffirming Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia as regional tensions continue to intensify.
Saudi authorities said air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Makkah on Tuesday evening before it entered the holy city’s restricted airspace. Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said protecting Makkah remained a “red line” and warned that measures would be taken to deter further threats.
Shehbaz described the incident as a “dastardly and heinous” attempted attack and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia’s leadership and people. Pakistan has repeatedly condemned recent attacks on the kingdom and reaffirmed its support for Saudi sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.
The Houthis, however, have denied targeting Makkah or other religious sites. The group has claimed responsibility for several other recent attacks on Saudi territory as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has escalated.
The attempted drone incursion follows a series of attacks that have placed Saudi cities and critical infrastructure on heightened alert. Recent Houthi strikes on southern Saudi Arabia injured 73 people, according to Saudi authorities, while a separate drone attack forced the temporary shutdown of the kingdom’s strategically important East-West oil pipeline.
For Pakistan, the escalation carries additional significance because of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. The pact treats an armed attack against one member as an attack against all three, creating a collective-defence framework between the countries.
Islamabad has nevertheless been careful about suggesting that recent attacks automatically mean Pakistani military involvement. On September 10, the Foreign Office said no military response under the agreement had been discussed at that stage, while maintaining that Pakistan would fulfil its obligations when required.
The military has also emphasised the defensive nature of the arrangement. On September 16, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the agreement was designed around collective deterrence and carried no offensive or expansionist objective.
Pakistan has simultaneously attempted to prevent the regional confrontation from widening. Shehbaz told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a recent telephone conversation that Pakistan would continue diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and promote regional peace.
The security situation also carries wider economic consequences. Saudi Arabia’s oil export infrastructure has come under pressure just as disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has already constrained Gulf energy flows. The Houthis’ position near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait adds another potential threat to shipping routes linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The latest incident therefore carries significance beyond the intercepted drone itself. Makkah’s religious importance, Pakistan’s defence relationship with Riyadh and the expanding regional conflict make any attempted incursion near the holy city particularly sensitive.
For now, Saudi authorities say the drone was destroyed before entering Makkah’s restricted airspace, and there were no reported casualties from the incident. The Houthis dispute that they targeted the holy city.
