(Eritrea is not included in the new Saudi Arabian maritime coalition. Is Eritrea scared of the Houthi Fighters of Yemen, and distancing itself from the recent coalition organized by Saudi Arabia against the Yemeni Houthi forces and the Iranian axis.
Is Eritrea distancing itself because it has no worthy modern maritime force and drone forces to face the Houthi, or is it because it is too poor to line up along this group or too scared of the Houthis who are capable of destroying and render useless the ports of Asab and Massawa with a couple of missile shots and half a dozen drones?)
Saudi Arabia announces maritime defence alliance to secure vital waterways
Fourteen nations sign up to alliance to protect vital trade and energy routes amid escalating hostilities.
By Al Jazeera Staff, Published On 30 Jul 202630 Jul 2026
Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries have announced the creation of a maritime military coalition to safeguard freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In a statement published on Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance was established as a framework to strengthen collective maritime defence cooperation.
The states declared their intent to protect freedom of navigation, securing international trade routes and energy supply routes through the three waterways, which form a strategic maritime corridor linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean.
The move comes as the United States-Iran conflict has become focused on the Strait of Hormuz. The virtual closure of the route, which formerly carried about 20 percent of global oil and gas exports, is weighing heavily on the global economy.
In a recent escalation, the Bab el-Mandeb-Red Sea-Gulf of Aden route has come under repeated attack from Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen.
‘Shared responsibility’
The representatives of 43 countries – out of 51 that were invited – participated in the meeting for the establishment of the alliance.
A European Union delegation was included, the Saudi ministry said. The EU already has a naval protection mission, Aspides, in the Red Sea. It is not clear how the Saudi-led coalition would differ.
Turkiye, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia, Bangladesh, Yemen, Sudan and the Comoros are understood to be the other signatories to the alliance.
Advertisement
It is notable that neither the United Arab Emirates nor Oman have signed up, despite having similar security objectives amid the conflict centred on Iran.
“The door remains open for other countries to accede to the coalition’s charter after completing their national procedures,” the Saudi ministry’s statement said.
Get instant alerts and updates based on your interests. Be the first to know when big stories happen.
The participating states share a “conviction that maritime security is a shared responsibility and that cooperation and coordination among states constitute the cornerstone for confronting common and transnational maritime threats”, the statement continued.
It did not say what ships or aircraft each country would contribute. However, activities will include sharing intelligence, information and operational planning, as well as conducting joint exercises and maritime operations.
The alliance is “purely defensive in nature and does not target any state”, it noted.
Saudi Arabia is recognised as a founding member of the alliance and home to its headquarters, though the statement did not specify the exact location.
The Houthi rebel group in Yemen imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia last week, disrupting oil shipments diverted to the Red Sea.
Since the start of the war in Iran in late February, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Riyadh has been able to continue to export most of its oil thanks to the East-West pipeline, which connects oil refineries in the country’s east to the terminal of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.
Saudi exports have to cross Bab al-Mandeb, which is located between Eritrea, Djibouti and Yemen, whose western province facing the maritime chokepoint is controlled by the Houthis. That gives the armed group a strategic advantage to target ships in the Red Sea.
Approximately 10 to 12 percent of global maritime trade passes through the strait, including millions of barrels of oil per day. It is also one of only two exit-entry points to the Red Sea, the other being the Suez Canal.
Bab al-Mandeb is only 29km (18 miles) wide at its narrowest point, limiting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound shipments. Therefore, any disruption taking place in the area could cause a new surge in global energy prices.
© 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network
Re: Eritrea not included in the new -- Saudi Arabia Maritime defence alliance group
local markets
Saudi Arabia forms Red Sea security bloc with five African countries amid rising maritime tensions
Solomon Ekanem
https://africa.businessinsider.com/loca ... ng/n0h7rqp
01 August 2026
Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans for a multinational maritime defence coalition spanning the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, bringing together eight coastal states including five African nations in a move that highlights the region's growing strategic importance as geopolitical tensions and shipping disruptions intensify.
Saudi Arabia forms Red Sea security bloc with five African countries amid rising maritime tensions
• Saudi Arabia announced a new multinational maritime defence coalition for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
• The coalition aims to protect vital international maritime corridors that account for around 12% of global trade.
• Participating countries are Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Somalia.
• The alliance comes amid increasing maritime security threats and shipping disruptions linked to wider regional conflicts and attacks on commercial vessels.
The initiative, announced by the Saudi Ministry of Defence, aims to strengthen coordination among Red Sea littoral states to safeguard one of the world's busiest maritime corridors, which carries an estimated 12% of global trade and serves as a critical route for oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and container shipments between Europe, Asia and Africa.
The coalition comprises Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen, alongside the African states of Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia.
In a statement, Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry said the proposed coalition is intended to
across the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden.protect international maritime corridors, ensure the security of commercial and energy routes, and strengthen collective maritime defence cooperation
The announcement comes as security concerns in the Red Sea continue to mount following months of attacks on commercial vessels linked to the broader conflict involving the United States, Iran, Israel and Tehran-backed armed groups.
The instability has forced many global shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing transport costs and delaying cargo destined for African and European markets.
The alliance comes amid increasing maritime security threats and shipping disruptions linked to wider regional conflicts and attacks on commercial vessels. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)
Why the new alliance matters for Africa
For Africa, the new coalition represents more than a military partnership. Four of the participating countries—Egypt, Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia—sit along some of the continent's most strategically important maritime chokepoints, while Sudan's long Red Sea coastline provides another critical link between North and East Africa.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, located between Djibouti, Eritrea and Yemen, is one of the world's most important shipping bottlenecks, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Any disruption along this corridor has immediate consequences for African imports, exports, energy supplies and food security.
Egypt, through the Suez Canal, remains central to global maritime trade. The waterway is one of the country's largest sources of foreign currency earnings, and prolonged disruptions have already reduced canal revenues as shipping companies diverted vessels away from the Red Sea due to security concerns.
The formation of the coalition also reflects Saudi Arabia's expanding role as a regional security actor.
Beyond safeguarding shipping lanes, Riyadh has invested heavily in Red Sea infrastructure, ports and logistics while strengthening defence cooperation with neighbouring African states.
For countries such as Djibouti and Somalia, enhanced maritime coordination could improve efforts to combat piracy, arms trafficking, illegal fishing and human smuggling—persistent challenges that have undermined security and economic development across the Horn of Africa.