Egypt's Big Balancing Act: Why Cairo Said No To Turkey-Saudi-Pakistan's New Defence Alliance

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a new collective-defence pact in Mecca—but one major regional power was conspicuously absent: Egypt. Cairo had been part of consultations involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, yet chose not to join the final alliance. Why? Israel and Washington, Egypt's ties with the UAE, its growing relationship with Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and its strategic partnership with India could all be factors. Cairo also has strong reasons to preserve its strategic autonomy rather than become locked into a new military bloc. Is Egypt waiting to see whether the pact becomes a genuine security alliance—or simply refusing to choose sides in West Asia's rapidly changing power game?