Refer to the passage. "It is accordingly understood between the French and British governments:

That France and Great Britain are prepared to recognize and protect an independent Arab states or a confederation of Arab states (a) and (b) marked on the annexed map, under the suzerainty of an Arab chief. That in area (a) France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall have priority of right of enterprise and local loans. That in area (a) France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall alone supply advisers or foreign functionaries at the request of the Arab state or confederation of Arab states.

That in the blue area France, and in the red area Great Britain, shall be allowed to establish such direct or indirect administration or control as they desire and as they may think fit to arrange with the Arab state or confederation of Arab states.

That in the brown area there shall be established an international administration, the form of which is to be decided upon after consultation with Russia, and subsequently in consultation with the other allies, and the representatives of the Shereef of Mecca.”

Excerpt from the 1916 Sykes–Picot Agreement, describing a map that secretly divided the Middle East

How did the decline of the Ottoman Empire contribute to outside interests exerting control in the Middle East through the agreement?

It gave European powers an opportunity to protect the empire from internal instability.
It gave France and Great Britain an opportunity to claim land holdings in the Middle East.
It gave the empire a way to modernize society and acclimatize European culture.
It gave France and Great Britain the necessary latitude to end World War I in the Middle East.