Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced the formation of a multinational maritime defense coalition to protect shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea, as the Middle East war continues to spread beyond the borders of Iran.
In a statement, the Saudi defense ministry said chiefs of staff and representatives from 43 countries, along with the European Union delegation, attended the meeting from 51 countries and organizations invited. It said Riyadh would serve as the coalition’s founding and leading state and host its permanent headquarters.
It said the proposed 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 al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Participants attended either in person or through videoconference, reflecting growing international interest in strengthening maritime defense cooperation and unifying efforts to address shared threats to international maritime routes, the ministry said.
Participants discussed increasing threats to maritime security, including attacks on commercial vessels, energy tankers and maritime infrastructure and the risks these posed to the safety of navigation, global supply chains and the international economy. They also reviewed the draft charter of the Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition, its reference documents, organizational structure, command and control arrangements, operating mechanisms and future work plan.
Saudi Arabia said the coalition was an open international defense initiative and welcomed all countries that shared its objectives and principles.
Following the meeting, 14 participating countries issued a joint statement supporting the coalition and welcoming the consensus reached on its foundational arrangements. They noted the initiative is defense and is aimed at any specific country. The signatories were Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia. Oman and the United Arab Emirates were noticeably absent from the countries backing the statement.
Also on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke on regional and international developments with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. According to the Foreign Office, the two officials welcomed Jordan’s proposal to convene a meeting of Arab and Islamic countries to discuss the situation in Palestine, particularly East Jerusalem.