Saudi Arabia appoints commander for maritime defence coalition
Rear Admiral Abdullah Al-Shehri will lead the alliance
TBS Report
08 August, 2026, 01:40 am
Last modified: 08 August, 2026, 01:49 am
Boats float near the coast of Bab el-Mandeb, Yemen, on 2 April 2026. Photo: Reuters
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Boats float near the coast of Bab el-Mandeb, Yemen, on 2 April 2026. Photo: Reuters
Highlights
Rear Admiral Al-Shehri will oversee joint naval defence
Fourteen countries announced the coalition’s formation
Alliance seeks to protect strategic maritime routes
Planning meeting scheduled for 12–13 August
Saudi Arabia has appointed a commander for a multinational maritime defence coalition formed to protect freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Saudi Ministry of Defence said in a statement on 6 August that Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Salem Al-Shehri had been appointed commander of the coalition, a week after its establishment, reports Al Jazeera.
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Al-Shehri will oversee joint naval defence, coordinate with member states and other maritime coalitions, and carry out missions under the alliance’s charter, the ministry said in a post on X.
Bahrain, Bangladesh, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye and Yemen announced the formation of the coalition on 30 July.
The Saudi ministry said more countries were completing procedures to join the alliance. Some have already signed the joint declaration, while others are preparing to sign the declaration and charter before formally joining as founding members.
It described the coalition as “an open international coalition that welcomes the accession of all countries that align with its goals and principles”, adding that it continues to receive new membership applications.
The coalition will hold a planning meeting on 12–13 August to finalise its institutional framework and pave the way for more countries to join, according to the ministry.
The 14 founding countries said the coalition would protect freedom of navigation and secure international trade and energy supply routes in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The waterways form a strategic maritime corridor linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean.
The development comes as the US-Israel war on Iran has focused on the Strait of Hormuz. The virtual closure of the route, through which about 20% of global oil and gas supplies transited before the conflict, is weighing heavily on the global economy.
