Pakistan backs Saudi maritime defence coalition
Saudi Arabia on Thursday unveiled plans for a multinational maritime defence coalition aimed at protecting international shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea region after attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis disrupted one of the world's busiest trade corridors.
Pakistan joined 13 other countries in endorsing the Saudi proposal that was discussed at a high-level meeting convened by the Saudi Defence Ministry and attended by chiefs of defence, their representatives from 43 countries and a delegation of the European Union.
According to the ministry, the meeting focused on establishing the proposed alliance to strengthen maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation, secure international trade routes and energy supply lines, and protect shared maritime interests in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
A total of 51 countries and organisations were invited to the meeting, with representatives from 43 countries participating either in person or via video link. The participants stressed the need to strengthen collective defence cooperation to address the evolving security challenges.
The participants expressed concern over the growing number of attacks on commercial vessels, oil tankers and maritime installations, warning that the incidents posed serious risks to global trade routes, supply chains and the international economy.
The meeting also reviewed the proposed charter of the alliance, its organisational structure, command and control system, operational procedures and future roadmap. The proposed coalition is intended to establish an institutional framework for coordinated action against shared maritime threats in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The participants agreed that Saudi Arabia would serve as the founding nation, lead country and permanent host of the alliance's headquarters, describing the decision as a reflection of confidence in the Kingdom's leadership role.
Military planners from countries seeking to join the alliance will continue consultations to finalise the charter, organisational structure, command and control arrangements and other technical matters before the completion of national legal requirements and the alliance's formal launch.
Saudi Arabia said the proposed coalition would remain an open international defence initiative, allowing all countries that share its objectives and principles to join efforts aimed at safeguarding maritime security, freedom of navigation and global trade.
The ministry said 14 countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia, issued a joint statement supporting the proposed coalition.
Among the six Gulf Arab states, Oman and the United Arab Emirates were not listed among the countries backing the statement. But the ministry said that other participating countries expressed their intention to join the initiative.
The participants reaffirmed their commitment to completing the remaining steps for the alliance's establishment at the earliest in order to strengthen collective defence capabilities for protecting international waterways, global trade and regional and international security.
The announcement came a day after two sources familiar with the deliberations told Reuters that Saudi Arabia was seeking to build an international coalition to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks. The Houthis said on July 20 they would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have since claimed a series of attacks on Saudi-linked shipping. Saudi Arabia has responded with air strikes on Houthi military facilities in Yemen's Hodeidah. The Red Sea tensions mark the latest front in the wider Iran war, with attacks on shipping spreading beyond the Gulf and pushing oil prices higher.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, linking the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, is a key maritime chokepoint for global trade and energy shipments. The European Union launched a naval mission in the Red Sea in 2024 to help restore and safeguard freedom of navigation after the Houthis disrupted maritime traffic by attacking vessels in what they said was solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.
(WITH INPUT FROM REUTERS)