Saudi Arabia has announced the establishment of the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance, a framework for collective maritime defense cooperation focused on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. The announcement follows years of insecurity in the vital sea lane due to threats from the Iran-backed Houthi militant group.
The announcement followed a meeting hosted in Riyadh by the Saudi Ministry of Defense, attended by chiefs of staff and representatives from 43 countries along with a European Union delegation. Of the 51 countries and organizations invited, these participants discussed the proposed alliance’s draft charter, organizational structure, command-and-control arrangements, operational mechanisms, and next steps.
As part of the agreement, 14 countries issued a joint declaration supporting the alliance as founding members. This includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia. The United Arab Emirates and Oman were notably not among those listed in the initial joint statement.
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