Saudi Arabia announces to form Maritime Defense Alliance with Bangladesh, 13 other nations

Saudi Arabia has announced the formation of a multinational maritime defense alliance involving 14 countries, including Bangladesh, to safeguard freedom of navigation, international trade and energy supply routes in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The announcement came in a joint statement issued on Thursday (July 30) following an international defense meeting in Riyadh, attended by military chiefs and representatives from 43 countries, along with a delegation from the European Union.

Besides Saudi Arabia, the alliance includes Bangladesh, Turkey, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan and Comoros.

According to the joint statement, the alliance is strictly defensive in nature and is not directed against any country, alliance or international organisation. It said all operations will be conducted in accordance with international law while respecting national sovereignty and ensuring freedom of navigation.

Saudi Arabia has been designated as the founding and lead nation of the alliance, with its permanent headquarters, Joint Operations Coordination Center, Joint Maritime Operations Center and General Secretariat to be based in the kingdom.

The alliance aims to strengthen maritime security cooperation, protect international shipping lanes, secure global trade and energy supply routes, and safeguard strategic maritime interests across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Member states will now complete their respective domestic procedures to formally accede to the alliance's charter. They also agreed to deepen cooperation in maritime security, intelligence sharing, operational planning, joint exercises, training, capacity building and coordinated naval operations.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense said the Riyadh meeting focused on growing threats to commercial shipping, oil tankers and critical maritime infrastructure, as well as measures to enhance multilateral defense cooperation to protect global supply chains and international commerce.

Participants also reviewed the alliance's draft charter, organisational structure, command-and-control framework and future operational mechanisms. Officials reached a consensus on finalising the charter and completing the necessary organisational and technical arrangements, paving the way for the alliance's formal launch.

The ministry emphasised that the initiative remains open to all countries willing to contribute to maritime security and seeks to reinforce regional and international stability in the face of increasing threats to global sea lanes.

The initiative comes less than two weeks after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement announced a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia on July 20 and later claimed attacks on Saudi-linked vessels, raising fresh concerns over the security of commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Source: Anadolu Ajansi