Saudi Arabia leads the establishment of a multinational defensive maritime alliance
- To safeguard international sea lanes and counter threats targeting global navigation and trade
The Saudi Ministry of Defense hosted, today, a meeting of the chiefs of staff and representatives of friendly and sister states, alongside the European Union Delegation to the Kingdom, to discuss the Kingdom’s initiative to establish a multinational defensive maritime coalition, as part of efforts to enhance maritime security, protect international sea lanes, and counter threats targeting maritime navigation and global trade.
In a statement, the Ministry said the meeting saw the participation of chiefs of staff and representatives from 43 countries, along with the EU Delegation to the Kingdom, out of 51 countries and organizations invited, either in person or via video conference. This reflects growing international interest in strengthening maritime defense cooperation and the importance of unifying efforts to confront shared threats targeting the security of international sea lanes within the coalition’s area of responsibility.
Participants discussed the escalating threats to maritime security, including attacks on commercial vessels, energy tankers, and maritime infrastructure, and the risks they pose to the safety of navigation, the stability of global supply chains, and the international economy.
They emphasized the importance of enhancing multilateral defense cooperation to confront and deter these threats, and to maintain the security of international sea lanes.
The meeting also reviewed the draft charter of the multinational defensive maritime coalition and its reference documents, its organizational structure, command and control arrangements, operational mechanisms, and future action steps, aiming to build an effective institutional framework that enhances maritime defense cooperation among participating states and addresses shared threats in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
Participants discussed the foundational arrangements for the coalition project, foremost among which is that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia serves as the founding and leading state, and hosts its headquarters. This reflects international confidence in the Kingdom’s leadership role in enhancing collective maritime security.
They agreed to continue the work of military planners from countries wishing to join the coalition in the coming phase, to complete the foundational procedures. These include finalizing the coalition’s charter and reference documents, its organizational structure, command and control arrangements, and operational mechanisms, as well as establishing the necessary technical frameworks and teams. This will run parallel to 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.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirmed that the multinational defensive maritime coalition represents an international defense initiative open to all states that share its objectives and principles, welcoming their accession and participation in its efforts in accordance with their national procedures. This aims to enhance collective maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation and global trade, and embody the principle of sharing international responsibility in confronting shared threats.
It clarified that the security of international sea lanes is a collective responsibility requiring effective and sustainable international partnership.
As part of the meeting’s outcomes, 14 participating countries issued a joint statement affirming their support for the multinational defensive maritime coalition project and welcoming the consensus achieved regarding its foundational arrangements.
The countries included the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Turkey, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Yemen, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of the Sudan, the Republic of Djibouti, and the Federal Republic of Somalia.
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Other countries participating in the meeting also affirmed their support for the initiative, as they are in the process of completing the necessary domestic procedures and approvals to join the joint statement. The door to joining remains open to them and to other interested countries once their national procedures are completed.
The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the shared resolve to proceed with completing the foundational steps for establishing the multinational maritime defense coalition, thereby enhancing collective capacity to confront and deter threats targeting maritime security, protecting international sea lanes and freedom of navigation and global trade, and strengthening regional and international security and stability.
