# What are the hurdles facing the Mecca agreement?

An episode of [The Inside Story Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1587936366), 8 Aug 2026, 26 min.

Audio: https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/9c074afa-3313-47e8-b802-a9f900789975/223113c5-ff31-4f9a-b650-ada90106df0f/eb0edc2a-c3c4-480e-ad9b-b4a000e0b6c1/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=7c994764-510f-469f-80a3-ada901076c74

What are the hurdles facing the Mecca agreement? The defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan comes at a time of heightened tension in the Middle East. So, who stands to gain from the new alliance? And how is it viewed in the region and beyond? In this episode: • Abdulaziz Alghashian - Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Gulf International Forum • David Des Roches - Professor at the Thayer Marshall Institute • Zaid M Belbagi - Managing Partner at Hardcastle Advisory Host: Anna Burns-Francis Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.