First Secretary-General Of Makkah Defence Alliance: Retired Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood has been appointed as the first secretary-general of the Makkah Defence Alliance. The alliance brings together Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry announced his appointment on September 23. The General Secretariat of the alliance is being set up in Riyadh. Mahmood will lead the new office for a three-year term.
IG Defence Tests JWALA Micro-Missile Rocket Motors for Counter-Drone Operations
Pakistan Announces Nauman Mahmood’s Appointment
The Pakistani government said Mahmood will take charge of building and leading the alliance’s secretariat in Riyadh. The Foreign Ministry said “The government of Pakistan is pleased to announce the appointment of Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood, Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) (retired), as the first secretary-general pursuant to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.”
His new role comes as the three countries work to create the basic system needed to run the defence alliance. The secretary-general will have to help the three members work together and turn the agreement into regular defence cooperation.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed in Makkah on August 7, 2026. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement.
What is the Makkah Defence Alliance?
The agreement says that an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all three. It also calls for stronger defence cooperation and collective deterrence between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
The alliance is now moving from the signing stage toward building its own working structure. The Riyadh-based General Secretariat will provide a place for the three countries to coordinate their defence work.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has also described the agreement as defensive in nature. It said the pact isn’t directed against any particular country and is meant to improve the three countries’ ability to respond to external aggression.
Denmark To Replace Iver Huitfeldt Frigates With New Air Defence Warships
Who is Nauman Mahmood?
Nauman Mahmood joined the Pakistan Army in September 1987 and belongs to the Baloch Regiment. He later studied War Studies and attended several important military institutions, including the Command and Staff College in Quetta and the National Defence University in Islamabad.
A major part of his career was connected with military training and education. He held different teaching positions at the Command and Staff College and later became its chief instructor.
In April 2019, Mahmood was promoted to lieutenant general and became Inspector General of Communications and Information Technology at Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters. Later that year, he was sent to Peshawar to command XI Corps.
He remained XI Corps commander from December 2019 until November 23, 2021. After that, he became president of the National Defence University in Islamabad. He held the post until his retirement from active military service in April 2023.
On October 5, 2026, the three countries formally decided to appoint Mahmood as the first secretary-general for a three-year term. The decision was made during an emergency meeting of the Makkah Alliance’s Strategic-Political and Defence Committee in Riyadh.
