Founding states say the proposed maritime coalition is purely defensive and not aimed at any country
Representatives of countries participating in the international meeting on Saudi Arabia’s proposal to establish a Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition pose for a group photograph in Riyadh on Thursday. Photo: X
Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries, including Pakistan, on Thursday announced the creation of a multinational maritime defense coalition aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation, international trade and energy supply routes in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Saudi defence ministry said representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended an international meeting that discussed the proposed coalition, including Saudi Arabia serving as its founding and leading state and hosting its headquarters.
The ministry said the coalition would strengthen maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation, secure international trade routes and energy supply lines, and protect shared maritime interests in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
صدور بيان مشترك عن 14 دولة من الدول المشاركة لإنشاء التحالف البحري الدفاعي متعدد الجنسيات، مع استمرار انضمام بقية الدول فور استكمال إجراءاتها الوطنية، وبقاء باب الانضمام مفتوحًا أمام جميع الدول الراغبة. pic.twitter.com/A5EmSLvkjk
— وزارة الدفاع (@modgovksa) July 30, 2026
It said 14 countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and Djibouti, issued a joint statement supporting the proposed coalition. Among the six Gulf Arab states, Oman and the United Arab Emirates were not listed among the countries backing the statement.
The founding states said participation in the coalition’s activities would remain a sovereign decision for each member state, stressing that the alliance is “purely defensive in nature, does not target any state, alliance or international organization, and will conduct all its activities in full compliance with international law while respecting state sovereignty and protecting freedom of navigation.”
The joint statement said the coalition was established as a “framework for maritime defense cooperation” aimed at enhancing maritime security, protecting freedom of navigation, securing international trade and energy supply routes, and safeguarding maritime interests in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in accordance with international law, UN conventions and internationally recognized norms.
The statement said participating states would continue completing their domestic procedures necessary for formally acceding to the coalition’s charter. It also called for strengthening cooperation in maritime security, intelligence and information sharing, operational planning, joint exercises, exchange of lessons learned, training, capacity building and joint maritime operations in accordance with the coalition’s charter.
The Saudi Defense Ministry said Thursday’s meeting addressed the growing threats to maritime security, including the security of commercial vessels, oil tankers, and maritime infrastructure. It also explored ways to strengthen multilateral defense cooperation to protect supply chains and the global economy.
Participants also discussed the draft alliance charter, its organizational structure, command and control arrangements, and future operational mechanisms, the ministry said.
“This aims to establish an effective institutional framework for cooperation in confronting shared maritime threats in areas including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden,” it added.
The ministry said participants reached understandings on finalizing the establishment procedures, including the final draft of the alliance charter and completing the necessary organizational structures and technical arrangements, paving the way for the alliance’s launch and the commencement of its operations.
It said the alliance represents an international defense initiative open to all countries wishing to join, and aims to protect freedom of navigation and global trade, and to enhance regional and international security and stability in the face of threats targeting international maritime routes.
“The door remains open for other countries to accede to the coalition’s charter after completing their national procedures,” the ministry said.
The announcement comes a day after two sources familiar with the deliberations told Reuters that Saudi Arabia was seeking to build an international coalition to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks.
The Houthis said on July 20 they would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, and have since claimed a series of attacks on Saudi-linked shipping. Saudi Arabia has responded with air strikes on what it said were Houthi military facilities in Yemen’s Hodeidah used to threaten commercial shipping.
The Red Sea tensions mark the latest front in the wider Iran war, with attacks on shipping spreading beyond the Gulf and pushing oil prices higher.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, linking the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, is a key maritime chokepoint for global trade and energy shipments.
The European Union launched a naval mission in the Red Sea in 2024 to help restore and safeguard freedom of navigation after the Houthis disrupted maritime traffic by attacking vessels in what they said was solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.
