Bangladesh Joins Saudi-Led 14-Nation Maritime Alliance

Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries, including Bangladesh, have announced the creation of a multinational maritime defence alliance aimed at protecting freedom of navigation and securing international trade and energy supply routes in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The Saudi Ministry of Defence said the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance was established as a framework for strengthening collective maritime defence cooperation and addressing shared threats to commercial shipping and maritime infrastructure.

Representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended a meeting in Riyadh on Thursday to discuss the initiative. Fourteen countries subsequently issued a joint statement supporting the creation of the alliance.

The 14 founding countries are Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia, Bangladesh, Yemen, Sudan and the Comoros. The United Arab Emirates and Oman were not among the countries backing the statement.

The alliance will focus on maritime security, intelligence and information sharing, operational planning, joint exercises, training, capacity building and joint maritime operations. It has been described as purely defensive in nature and not directed against any particular state or alliance.

Saudi Arabia has been designated as the founding and leading state and will host the alliance's permanent headquarters, including its joint operations and coordination structures.

The initiative comes amid escalating threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20 and has since claimed attacks on Saudi-linked vessels, prompting Riyadh to respond with strikes on what it described as Houthi military facilities.

The Bab el-Mandeb is a strategic maritime chokepoint connecting the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Disruptions there can affect international shipping and energy supplies.

The Saudi ministry said the alliance remains open to additional members, with countries able to join after completing their domestic procedures for accession to its charter.