Saudi Arabia and 13 partner nations have announced the formation of the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance, a new military coalition aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, a vital maritime corridor linking the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said the alliance will strengthen collective maritime defence through intelligence sharing, operational planning, joint exercises, and coordinated maritime operations. Officials said the coalition is purely defensive, does not target any specific country, and remains open to additional members after completion of national procedures.
The initiative comes amid rising regional tensions. The ongoing US-Iran conflict has increased concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, while the Bab al-Mandeb–Red Sea–Gulf of Aden route has faced repeated attacks by Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on its East-West pipeline to move oil exports to the Red Sea, with shipments still transiting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, making the waterway strategically critical.
Representatives from 43 of the 51 invited countries, along with a European Union delegation, attended the alliance’s founding meeting. Signatory nations reportedly include Türkiye, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia, Bangladesh, Yemen, Sudan, and the Comoros. Saudi Arabia will host the alliance’s headquarters, though its exact location has not been disclosed. The United Arab Emirates and Oman did not join the coalition.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait carries an estimated 10–12% of global maritime trade, including millions of barrels of oil daily, making it a critical artery for global commerce and energy supplies.
