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Ulviyya Poladova

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Saudi Arabia and 13 partner nations have announced the formation of a multinational maritime defense coalition aimed at strengthening security along some of the world's busiest shipping lanes, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, AzerNEWS reports.

The initiative was unveiled following an international security meeting hosted by Riyadh, which brought together military chiefs and representatives from 43 countries, along with a delegation from the European Union. The discussions focused on enhancing maritime security, protecting global trade routes, and addressing growing threats to international navigation.

According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the coalition is designed as a defensive alliance dedicated to safeguarding freedom of navigation, securing international trade and energy supply routes, and protecting maritime interests in accordance with international law and United Nations conventions.

The participating countries emphasized that the alliance is not directed against any state, military bloc, or international organization. Membership and participation in coalition activities will remain voluntary, allowing each country to determine its level of involvement based on its national interests.

Saudi Arabia will serve as the coalition's founding and leading member, with its permanent headquarters located in the Kingdom. The alliance's Joint Operations Coordination Center, Joint Maritime Operations Center, and General Secretariat will also be based in Saudi Arabia.

In addition to coordinating maritime security operations, member states agreed to deepen cooperation through intelligence sharing, joint operational planning, military exercises, training programs, capacity-building initiatives, and coordinated maritime missions under the coalition's charter.

Saudi officials described the coalition as an open international defense initiative, inviting additional countries to join once they complete their domestic accession procedures.

The joint declaration supporting the initiative was endorsed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia, Bangladesh, Yemen, the Comoros, and one additional participating state, bringing the total number of founding members to 14.

The coalition is being established amid heightened security concerns in the Red Sea region. Tensions have intensified following recent threats to commercial shipping, including attacks on vessels linked to Saudi Arabia after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement announced what it described as a maritime blockade on the Kingdom. Saudi authorities have pledged to protect international shipping lanes and ensure the uninterrupted flow of global trade and energy supplies.