Saudi Arabia has announced the formation of a maritime coalition aimed at protecting shipping and energy supplies in the Red Sea amid escalating threats from Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The coalition, led by Riyadh and headquartered in Saudi Arabia, was proposed following a meeting held on Thursday in the Saudi capital, which was attended by representatives from 43 countries and the European Union.

Fourteen countries, including Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, and several other Arab and African nations, have formally committed to join the coalition. However, notable regional players such as the United Arab Emirates and Oman have yet to join, although Saudi Arabia indicated that the door remains open for additional members. The group intends to enhance maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation, secure international trade and energy supply routes, and protect shared interests in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. Participating countries have agreed to share intelligence and conduct joint maritime patrols, operations, and training exercises.

Saudi officials have characterized the coalition as purely defensive and not directed against any specific state. Nonetheless, the timing reflects increasing concern over repeated attacks on maritime traffic attributed to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which announced a maritime blockade against Saudi vessels earlier this month following the collapse of a four-year truce. Since Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz this year, the Red Sea has become a critical alternative route for Saudi oil exports. Oil from Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province is transported via pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu for shipment to international markets.

The Houthis, controlling parts of Yemen near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, have targeted Saudi oil tankers and other commercial shipping using drones and missiles, actions that have prompted Saudi Arabia to respond with airstrikes against Houthi-controlled military sites in the port city of Hodeidah. These attacks have also drawn international attention; the United States launched “Operation Prosperity Guardian” to deter such threats, and the European Union initiated its own maritime security effort, known as “Operation Aspides,” in the region earlier this year.

While Saudi Arabia has actively sought to de-escalate tensions in recent years, the ongoing conflict and the recent Houthi blockade have intensified the kingdom’s security challenges. The blockade has led to a reduction in shipping traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait by about 20 percent, according to maritime data analytics. This disruption threatens not only Saudi Arabia’s oil export capacity but also global trade flowing through this strategic waterway, which feeds into the Suez Canal.

Western countries, including some European nations and the United States, have been invited to join the coalition, but some have expressed caution, seeking further clarity on the coalition’s structure and objectives before committing. Saudi Arabia is pressing for broader international participation to address the complex maritime security threats in the Red Sea region caused by the escalating tensions involving the Houthis and their Iranian backers.

The formation of the coalition marks a significant development in Saudi efforts to secure critical maritime routes amidst a growing regional security crisis that intersects with broader conflicts involving Iran, Yemen, and the ongoing war in Gaza, where the Houthis have also launched attacks. As the kingdom contends with these challenges, it continues to explore alternative routes to export oil, though these alternatives remain vulnerable and logistically more complex.