ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is among 14 countries that on Thursday backed the establishment of a Saudi-led multinational maritime defense alliance aimed at protecting shipping routes through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, according to a joint statement issued after a meeting in Riyadh.
The proposed alliance, which will be headquartered in Saudi Arabia, aims to strengthen collective maritime defense cooperation and safeguard freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The 14 founding supporters include Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
The initiative comes after the recent conflict between the United States and Iran heightened concerns over maritime security across the Middle East, with attacks on shipping, drone and missile strikes on energy infrastructure, and fears of disruption at strategic waterways including the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz.
The Bab al-Mandeb, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, is one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints, carrying about 12 percent of global trade. Shipping in the corridor has faced repeated disruptions since late 2023 because of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement on commercial vessels, prompting many ships to reroute around southern Africa at higher cost.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will serve as the lead state of the alliance and host its headquarters,” the Saudi Ministry of Defense said in a statement issued after the meeting, adding that the alliance will remain open to other countries that share its objectives, while participating states complete their domestic legal procedures before formally joining.
The ministry said representatives from 51 countries and international organizations, including the European Union delegation to Saudi Arabia, attended the discussions, reflecting what it described as growing international interest in strengthening maritime defense cooperation.
Participants also discussed the alliance’s draft charter, command and control arrangements, operational mechanisms and future work plan, including the establishment of a Joint Command, Command and Control Center, Combined Maritime Operations Center and General Secretariat in Saudi Arabia.
The statement said the proposed alliance would have “an exclusively defensive nature” and would operate in accordance with international law, respect for state sovereignty and the protection of freedom of navigation.
Saudi Arabia said the initiative was “an open international defensive initiative” available to all countries that share its objectives and wish to participate in accordance with their national procedures.
The meeting concluded with participating countries reaffirming their commitment to complete the alliance’s founding procedures and launch it as an international mechanism to strengthen maritime security, protect international shipping lanes and support regional and global stability.
