RIYADH, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia announced Thursday the establishment of a multinational maritime defense alliance it said aimed at protecting shipping lanes in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
The announcement came after a meeting in Riyadh hosted by the Saudi Defense Ministry, which was attended by military chiefs and representatives from 43 countries and an EU delegation, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Fourteen countries issued a joint declaration supporting the alliance, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia, it reported.
According to the declaration, the alliance is a defensive framework aimed at enhancing maritime security, safeguarding freedom of navigation, securing international trade routes and energy supply lines in the above-mentioned waterways.
Participation in operational activities remains a sovereign decision for each member state in accordance with its national laws, the declaration said.
Saudi Arabia will serve as the founding and leading state and host the alliance's permanent headquarters, it said.
The move came amid escalating regional tensions, and after Yemen's Houthi group announced a maritime ban on Saudi shipping on July 20 and claimed attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The waterway has become increasingly critical for Saudi oil exports amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the U.S.-Iran standoff.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait acts as a critical maritime chokepoint connecting the Gulf of Aden to the southern end of the Red Sea, forming an indispensable artery for global energy shipments and international trade moving to and from the Suez Canal. Enditem
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