Saudi Arabia hosted an international meeting in Riyadh to finalize the creation of a multinational maritime defense alliance aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The gathering addressed growing threats to maritime security, including risks to commercial vessels, oil tankers, and maritime infrastructure.
Participants discussed the draft alliance charter, its organizational structure, command and control arrangements, and future operational mechanisms. Attendees reached understandings on finalizing the establishment procedures, including the final draft of the charter and completing necessary organizational structures and technical arrangements.
Reports on attendance varied. One account stated that chiefs of staff and representatives from 43 countries and a delegation from the European Union attended. Another source indicated that the Saudi Ministry of Defense met with nearly 50 countries in Riyadh to establish the coalition.
Founding members and structure
Fourteen countries issued a joint statement at the conclusion of the meeting declaring their support for the alliance. The listed supporters included Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Djibouti, Somalia, Bangladesh, Yemen, and the Comoros. However, discrepancies exist in reporting; one source includes Sudan in the list of founding countries instead of the Comoros, while other lists contain only 13 names despite claiming 14 participants.
Saudi Arabia was designated as the coalition’s founding and leading state and permanent headquarters. The Joint Operations Coordination Center, the Joint Maritime Operations Center, and the General Secretariat will be based in the kingdom. Participating states will continue completing their domestic procedures necessary for formally acceding to the coalition’s charter.
Defensive mandate and regional context
The move comes amid escalating threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea after Yemen’s Houthi group, which is reported to be Iran-backed, declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20 and reportedly claimed attacks on Saudi-linked vessels. Riyadh has vowed to protect maritime traffic and respond to threats against international navigation.
The joint statement called for strengthening cooperation in maritime security, intelligence and information sharing, operational planning, joint exercises, exchange of lessons learned, training, capacity building, and joint maritime operations. Officials described the initiative as an effective institutional framework for confronting shared maritime threats in areas including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
Updates
The coalition, which designates the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden as its primary protection zones, will house its Joint Operations Coordination Center, Joint Maritime Operations Center, and General Secretariat in Saudi Arabia. While the European Union attended the Riyadh meeting as an observer, it has not signed the founding statement. Additionally, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has responded to the initiative by warning of a reciprocal escalation, specifically threatening Turkish-supplied aircraft. Reports also indicate that Egypt is investigating a drone attack on two vessels at Damietta port, which occurred amid these rising regional tensions.
While the coalition's headquarters in Saudi Arabia will host the Joint Operations Coordination Center, the Joint Maritime Operations Center, and the General Secretariat, member states will maintain sovereignty over their individual activities. Sources claim that 46 additional countries, including the US and Türkiye, have been invited, while some European nations are considering joining if the US participates. Meanwhile, Sudan's involvement remains disputed, though reports suggest Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia have agreed to participate.
The coalition will include a Joint Operations Coordination Center, a Joint Maritime Operations Center, and a General Secretariat, all to be based in Saudi Arabia. While Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia are reported to have agreed to participate, the number of contributing ships, aircraft, and personnel remains unannounced, and the activities of each member state will remain a sovereign decision. Additionally, invitations have been extended to 46 other nations, including the US and Türkiye, while some European countries are considering joining if the US participates.
The coalition's headquarters, including the Joint Operations Coordination Center, the Joint Maritime Operations Center, and the General Secretariat, will be based in Saudi Arabia, with member states retaining sovereign decision-making over their specific activities. While Sudan's participation is disputed, reports suggest that Egypt, Djibouti, and Somalia have agreed to join, and invitations have been extended to 46 additional nations, including Türkiye and the US. Additionally, the coalition specifically aims to protect energy supply routes in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
In addition to the fourteen founding nations, Al Monitor reports that 46 other countries, including the US, Türkiye, and Qatar, have received invitations to join the initiative, while several European nations are considering participation contingent on US involvement. Although the European Union sent a delegation to the Riyadh meeting, they did not sign the founding statement. Meanwhile, Sudan's participation in the alliance remains a matter of dispute, though reports suggest Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia may have agreed to join.
The coalition's organizational structure will include a General Secretariat and both a Joint Operations Coordination Center and a Joint Maritime Operations Center, all hosted in Saudi Arabia. Membership activities, including intelligence sharing and joint exercises, will remain a sovereign decision for each participating state. While the initiative aims to protect energy supply routes in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, the specific military contributions from member nations have not yet been announced.
The coalition's organizational structure will include intelligence sharing, joint exercises, and capacity building, with Saudi Arabia hosting the General Secretariat alongside the Joint Operations Coordination Center and the Joint Maritime Operations Center. While the initiative aims to protect energy supply routes in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, founding nations emphasized that participation in all activities remains a sovereign decision for each member state. Additionally, although the EU sent a delegation to the Riyadh meeting, they did not sign the founding statement.
