Saudi Arabia launches 14-nation maritime coalition to guard Red Sea shipping

Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced the formation of a multinational maritime defense alliance with 13 other nations to protect shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait from escalating Houthi attacks. The announcement follows a July 20 declaration by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, which has disrupted oil shipments and pushed global energy prices higher.

The Coalition Takes Shape

Representatives from 43 countries and the European Union gathered in Riyadh to discuss the initiative, according to the Saudi Defense Ministry. Of those, 14 nations signed a joint statement backing the alliance: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia.dialoguepakistan+2

The coalition, to be called the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance, will be headquartered in Saudi Arabia and focus on joint military operations, intelligence sharing, and coordinated maritime patrols. The signatories described the alliance as "purely defensive in nature" and stressed it "does not target any state, alliance, or international organization".thenewregion+2

The United Arab Emirates and Oman were notably absent from the list of Gulf states endorsing the declaration. The United States and several European nations were invited but have not yet confirmed participation.yahoo+2

Escalating Threats in the Red Sea

The initiative comes as Red Sea traffic has plummeted. According to Reuters ↘ 7.06%, only 11 vessels passed through the waterway over a recent weekend, down from more than 70 daily before 2023. Reuters first reported on July 29 that Saudi Arabia was seeking to build the coalition.aljazeera+1

The Houthis have claimed attacks on Saudi-flagged vessels and oil tankers since declaring their blockade, and are also considering imposing fees on most commercial traffic passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Brent crude rose to $88.09 per barrel this week after settling at $72 earlier in July, with prices having briefly surpassed $100 last week.nypost+2

Regional Dynamics

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday, reportedly conveying that the kingdom opposes further escalation but is prepared to "defend itself," according to Axios as cited by Al Jazeera. The prince also indicated Saudi Arabia does not need US involvement in managing the Houthi situation at this stage.aljazeera

The coalition announcement came days after Saudi Arabia and the US launched joint strikes on Iran-backed armed groups in eastern Iraq, which Saudi Arabia alleged were responsible for drone attacks on its territory. Iraq's absence from the coalition framework followed Baghdad's condemnation of those strikes and its prime minister's cancellation of a scheduled visit to Riyadh.thenewregion+1