Makkah Defence Alliance: Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers praised the first Strategic Political and Defense Committee meeting of the Saudi-Türkiye-Pakistan pact, backing steps toward a General Secretariat in Saudi Arabia and activation of joint cooperation mechanisms after talks in Istanbul. Regional Security Diplomacy: Iran’s foreign ministry said it does not see the trilateral defense agreement as a threat, while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also met Oman’s Sultan in Jeddah to review regional security and bilateral cooperation. Civil Defence Cooperation: Qatar and Saudi Arabia held their first meeting to activate a civil defence cooperation agreement, focusing on readiness, expertise exchange, and emergency response mechanisms. Digital Government & AI: Microsoft said its new Saudi East cloud data centre region will be available to customers in November, and Saudi ministries and partners at LEAP 2026 pushed AI adoption, including free Adobe access for about 27 million residents. Transport Regulation: Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority set up five specialized committees to handle grievances and violations under the Land Transport on Roads Law. Energy & Markets: Escalating US-Iran tensions and attacks near the Strait of Hormuz lifted oil prices and fed broader global yield worries, with Gulf stocks mixed. Health Cooperation: Saudi and Portugal signed an MoU to strengthen health collaboration, including innovation and digital health.