Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans for a multinational maritime defence coalition to protect international shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea, as escalating attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis continue to disrupt one of the world’s busiest trade corridors.
The Saudi defence ministry said representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended talks on the proposed alliance, with Riyadh set to serve as its founding and leading member while hosting its headquarters. The coalition aims to bolster maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation and protect vital trade and energy routes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
Fourteen countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and Djibouti, endorsed the initiative in a joint statement, although Oman and the United Arab Emirates were absent from the list of supporters. The announcement follows the Houthis’ declaration of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on 20 July and a series of claimed attacks on Saudi-linked shipping.
Riyadh has responded with air strikes targeting what it described as Houthi military sites in Yemen’s Hodeidah used to threaten commercial vessels. The latest tensions underscore the widening regional conflict with Iran, further fuelling concerns over global trade and energy security.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait remains one of the world’s most strategic maritime chokepoints, while the European Union has maintained a naval mission in the Red Sea since 2024 to help protect commercial shipping.