Saudi Arabia Leads 14‑Nation Alliance to Secure Red Sea Shipping

Saudi Arabia announced a maritime defence alliance of fourteen countries – Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey and Yemen – to protect navigation through the Bab al‑Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The alliance is intended to safeguard freedom of navigation, secure international trade routes and ensure uninterrupted energy supply lines after the Iran‑backed Houthi movement threatened Saudi oil tankers and imposed a maritime embargo.

Representatives from 43 nations and an EU delegation attended a meeting in Riyadh; 14 participants confirmed their support while others remain in the process of joining. The European Union, present at the talks, chose not to become a member, citing its own Aspides mission that already monitors the same waterways.

The coalition will share intelligence, conduct joint maritime exercises and respond to any attacks on commercial shipping in the region, aiming to prevent disruptions to the roughly 12 % of global trade that passes through the Bab al‑Mandab corridor.