Saudi-Led Maritime Defence Alliance Gains International Support Amid Red Sea Tensions

Saudi Arabia has finalized plans for a multinational maritime defence alliance aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandeb Strait. The alliance, which was discussed during an international meeting in Riyadh on Thursday, has garnered support from 14 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Türkiye, Djibouti, Somalia, Bangladesh, Yemen, and the Comoros.

The meeting, attended by chiefs of staff and representatives from 43 countries, as well as a delegation from the European Union, addressed growing threats to maritime security, including commercial vessel and oil tanker safety. Participants discussed ways to strengthen multilateral defence cooperation to protect supply chains and the global economy.

The alliance will focus on protecting international maritime routes in areas such as the Bab al Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. The move comes amid escalating threats to commercial shipping in the region after Yemen's Houthi group declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in July.