Saudi Arabia creates a maritime alliance with thirteen countries to secure the Bab al-Mandeb Strait

Saudi Arabia and thirteen other countries officially launched the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance on Thursday, a coalition whose stated objective is to secure trade and energy routes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean. The Saudi Ministry of Defense issued a statement presenting the alliance as a framework for collective cooperation in maritime defense.

The identified signatories are Turkey, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia, Bangladesh, Yemen, Sudan, and the Comoros. Saudi Arabia is recognized as a founding member and hosts the alliance's headquarters, the precise location of which has not been specified. A delegation from the European Union participated in the inaugural meeting, although Brussels already has its own naval mission in the Red Sea, called Aspides. How the two entities will operate remains to be clarified.

Of the 51 countries invited, 43 sent representatives to the founding meeting. Two absences are noteworthy: neither the United Arab Emirates nor Oman signed the document, despite having comparable security objectives in the context of tensions related to Iran. Riyadh, however, clarified that "the door remains open" to further accessions.

The alliance defines itself as "purely defensive" and "not targeting any state." Its activities will include intelligence sharing, joint operational planning, and joint exercises. The statement does not detail the specific military contributions of each member in terms of ships or aircraft.

The creation of this coalition comes amid dual pressure on the region's maritime routes. Since the start of the conflict with Iran in late February and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which previously carried approximately 20% of global oil and gas exports, Riyadh has relied on its East-West pipeline to transport its crude to the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea coast. However, Saudi exports must then pass through Bab al-Mandeb, whose Yemeni side is controlled by the Houthis, who are supported by Tehran.

This strait, only 29 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, carries between 10 and 12% of global maritime trade, including several million barrels of oil per day. Last week, the Houthis imposed a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, disrupting hydrocarbon deliveries that had already been rerouted through this waterway since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Any further disruption in this corridor risks triggering a surge in global energy prices.