Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries have announced a new maritime defence alliance to secure key waterways including the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In a statement Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance was established as a framework for collective cooperation among member states.
The coalition aims to safeguard freedom of navigation and protect international trade and energy routes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean., reports Al Jazeera.
The signatories include Turkiye, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia, Bangladesh, Yemen, Sudan and the Comoros.
The ministry described the initiative as “open and defensive in nature,” inviting other states to join once national procedures are complete.
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions in regional waters. The Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted by the US-Iran war, while Iran‑backed Houthi fighters in Yemen have repeatedly attacked vessels in the Bab al‑Mandeb–Red Sea–Gulf of Aden corridor.
Representatives from 43 countries, including an EU delegation, attended the founding meeting. The EU already operates its own naval mission, Aspides, in the Red Sea, though it remains unclear how the Saudi‑led coalition will differ. Notably, the UAE and Oman have not signed on despite sharing similar security concerns.
The alliance will focus on intelligence sharing, joint planning, exercises and maritime operations. It has not yet specified what ships or aircraft each member will contribute.
The participating states said they share a conviction that maritime security is a “shared responsibility” and that coordination is essential to confront transnational threats. The Saudi ministry stressed the coalition “does not target any state” but aims to preserve navigation and global trade.
Saudi Arabia has been recognised as a founding member of the new maritime defence alliance and host of its headquarters, though the exact location has not been disclosed.
The announcement follows a maritime blockade imposed last week by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which disrupted Saudi oil shipments diverted through the Red Sea.
US-Iran war and oil routes
Since the outbreak of Iran war in late February and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Riyadh has relied on its East‑West pipeline to maintain exports. The line connects refineries in the country’s east to the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea coast, allowing oil to bypass Hormuz.
Saudi shipments must still cross the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait, situated between Eritrea, Djibouti and Yemen. The strait’s western shore is controlled by the Houthis, giving the group a strategic position to target vessels in the Red Sea.
An estimated 10–12 per cent of global maritime trade passes through Bab al‑Mandeb, including millions of barrels of oil daily. It is one of only two entry and exit points to the Red Sea, the other being the Suez Canal.
At its narrowest, Bab al‑Mandeb is just 29km (18 miles) wide, restricting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound shipments. Any disruption in this chokepoint could trigger a fresh surge in global energy prices.
