The Tripartite Agreement: Egypt – Saudi Arabia – Syria
The Joint Defense Agreement of 1956
The tripartite agreement came ten days after Iraq joined the Baghdad Pact, serving as a forceful reaction to that development. On 6 March, a joint communiqué was issued simultaneously in Riyadh, Cairo, and Damascus, affirming the strengthening of the Arab entity—politically, militarily, and economically—along with a commitment not to join the Baghdad Pact or any other alliances.
The communiqué also called for the establishment of a Joint Arab Defense and Cooperation Council to repel any aggression against any member state, the creation of a joint military command, and the requirement that none of the concerned states conclude any international, military, or political agreements without the approval of the other members.
Although the three states did not share geographical borders, their agreement formed a moral and psychological force that contributed to mobilizing Arab sentiment even beyond their own territories.
Charter of the Military Alliance
In accordance with what had been agreed upon, and inspired by the joint communiqué, the Saudi government dispatched its Minister of Defense to Cairo, where he held military discussions with the Egyptian government. These talks concluded on 27 October 1955 with the signing of the following military agreement:
“The Governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Egypt—affirming the principles of the Charter of the Arab States; desiring to strengthen and deepen military cooperation; committed to the independence and security of their countries; believing that establishing a joint security system between them constitutes a fundamental factor in ensuring the safety and independence of each; and seeking to fulfill their aspirations for joint defense of their entity and the preservation of security and peace in accordance with the principles and objectives of the Charter of the Arab League and the Charter of the United Nations, and pursuant to Paragraph One of Article Nine of the Charter of the Arab League—have agreed to conclude an agreement for this purpose.”
Source: The History of King Saud, by Salim Wakim