Saudi Arabia leads the establishment of a multinational maritime defense alliance
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense hosted, on Thursday, a meeting of the chiefs of staff, representatives of friendly and allied nations, and the European Union Delegation to the Kingdom, to discuss the Riyadh initiative to establish a multinational defensive maritime coalition. This effort is part of broader endeavors to enhance maritime security, protect international sea lanes, and counter threats targeting maritime navigation and global trade.
The meeting saw broad participation from the chiefs of staff and their representatives from 43 countries, alongside the EU Delegation to the Kingdom, out of the 51 countries and organizations invited. Participation was either in person or via video conference, reflecting growing international interest in strengthening defensive maritime cooperation and underscoring the importance of unifying efforts to address common threats to the security of international sea lanes within the defined scope of responsibility of this defensive coalition.
Participants discussed escalating threats to maritime security, including attacks on commercial vessels, energy tankers, and maritime infrastructure, and the risks these pose to the safety of maritime navigation, the stability of global supply chains, and the international economy. They emphasized the importance of enhancing multilateral defensive cooperation to confront and deter these threats, and to safeguard the security of international sea lanes.
Participants also reviewed the draft charter of the multinational defensive maritime coalition, its reference documents, organizational structure, command and control arrangements, operational mechanisms, and future action steps. These measures aim to establish an effective institutional framework that enhances defensive maritime cooperation among participating states and addresses shared maritime threats in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
During the meeting, the foundational arrangements for the multinational defensive maritime coalition were discussed, with a primary focus on Saudi Arabia serving as the founding and leading state of the coalition, and hosting its headquarters. This reflects international confidence in the Kingdom’s leadership role in enhancing collective maritime security.
Participants agreed to continue the work of military planners from countries wishing to join the coalition in the coming phase, to complete foundational procedures. These include finalizing the coalition’s charter and reference documents, completing the organizational structure, command and control arrangements, and operational mechanisms, and forming the necessary frameworks and specialized teams. This will proceed in parallel with the completion of national procedures by countries seeking to join, paving the way for the signing of the charter, the launch of the coalition, and the commencement of its operations.
Saudi Arabia affirms that the multinational defensive maritime coalition represents an open international defensive initiative, open to all countries that share its objectives and principles, and welcomes their accession and participation in its efforts in accordance with their national procedures. This approach aims to enhance collective maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation and global trade, and embody the principle of sharing international responsibility in confronting common threats. This stance is rooted in the firm conviction that the security of international sea lanes is a collective responsibility requiring effective and sustained international partnership.
As an outcome of the meeting, 14 participating countries issued a joint statement, reaffirming their support for the multinational maritime defense alliance project and welcoming the consensus reached on its foundational arrangements. These countries are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia. Other participating countries also expressed their support for the initiative and are currently completing the necessary domestic procedures and approvals to join the joint statement. The door to joining this statement will remain open to them and to other interested countries once their domestic procedures are finalized.
The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the shared resolve to proceed with completing the foundational procedures for establishing the multinational maritime defense alliance, thereby enhancing collective capacity to confront and deter threats targeting maritime security, safeguarding international sea lanes, protecting freedom of navigation and global trade, and strengthening regional and international security and stability.
