Saudi appoints commander of defence alliance involving Bangladesh, 12 other countries

Saudi Arabia has appointed a commander for the defence alliance it formed with 13 countries, including Bangladesh, to secure commercial shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The commander is Royal Saudi Navy officer Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Salim Al-Shehri.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the appointment in a statement on Thursday. The statement said Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Salim Al-Shehri will now be responsible for overseeing the alliance's defence system, coordinating with member states and other maritime defence alliances, and directing the alliance's operations.

In mid-July, the Yemen-based Houthi group imposed a blockade on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, as well as on commercial shipping routes in the Red Sea.

The Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait are critical trade routes for Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries. After Iran imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Iran war in February, Middle Eastern oil exporters had been using the Red Sea route as an alternative. The Bab el-Mandeb is particularly important to Saudi Arabia because its port of Yanbu is located near the strait. The Houthis launched a drone attack on Yanbu port in late July.

Following the attack on Yanbu, Riyadh initiated the process of forming this defence alliance. The Saudi embassy in the US contacted 60 countries, and 14 agreed to join.

The member states of the alliance are: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey and Yemen. The Saudi defence ministry said several other countries have also expressed interest in joining.

Approximately 70 percent of Bangladesh's westbound exports, particularly to markets in Europe and the United States, are shipped via the Red Sea and adjacent routes. The security of this waterway is therefore directly linked to Bangladesh's economic interests and global maritime freedom.

Source: Al Jazeera