Mecca Joint Defense Pact: Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed a NATO-style mutual-defense agreement in Mecca, saying an armed attack on one will be treated as an attack on all—aimed at boosting collective deterrence and defense cooperation, with officials stressing it’s defensive and not aimed at any specific country. Regional Security Pressure: The pact lands as Iran war spillover keeps raising risks across the Gulf, with Iran and analysts questioning how binding the commitments really are and warning Riyadh against relying on “paper” deals. Yemen Escalation: Fresh Houthi strikes on Saudi-backed forces in Yemen are stoking fears of wider escalation, with analysts pointing to the group’s push for resources and pressure tied to shifting regional dynamics. Oil & Shipping Watch: Markets reacted to ongoing Strait of Hormuz uncertainty, including reports of Iran-Oman talks that could affect transit rules—keeping crude prices volatile for Gulf exporters. Saudi Tech & Governance: X geo-blocked at least 65 human rights, political and media accounts in Saudi Arabia after government requests, raising new concerns about digital censorship and access to information. AI & Data Centers: A US county repeatedly ordered an AI company to stop construction on a major data center project, highlighting growing local pushback over power, water use and unclear plans. Startup Spotlight: QME Solutions is pitching an AI-driven customer journey platform to merge queueing, booking, payments and analytics—targeting a region-wide pain point of time lost in lines and no-shows.