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Saudi Rear Adm. Abdullah bin Salem Al-Shehri has been appointed commander of a multinational maritime coalition tasked with protecting key regional maritime routes, the Saudi Defense Ministry said Thursday.
The coalition commander will oversee joint naval defense, coordinate with member states and other maritime coalitions, and carry out missions under the coalition's charter, the ministry said in a statement on X.
The ministry said more countries are completing procedures to join the coalition, with some having already signed the joint declaration and others preparing to sign the declaration and charter ahead of formal accession as founding members.
The coalition "affirms that it is an open international coalition that welcomes the accession of all countries that align with its goals and principles, and it continues to receive membership applications," the ministry said.
It added that another statement would be issued with the names of countries that have completed signing procedures.
The coalition will hold a planners' meeting on Aug. 12–13 to finalize its institutional framework and pave the way for more countries to join, the ministry said.
Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries announced the creation of the Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition on July 30.
The coalition is aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation, international trade and energy supply routes in the Bab el-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The announcement came in a joint statement issued at the conclusion of an international meeting hosted by Riyadh, where chiefs of staff and representatives from 43 countries, as well as a delegation from the European Union, discussed ways to strengthen the security of international maritime routes and counter threats to global navigation and trade.
The founding states said participation in coalition activities would remain a sovereign decision for each member state.
They said the alliance is "purely defensive in nature, does not target any state, alliance or international organization, and will conduct all its activities in full compliance with international law while respecting state sovereignty and protecting freedom of navigation."
The statement designated Saudi Arabia as the coalition's founding and leading state and permanent headquarters.
The Joint Operations Coordination Center, the Joint Maritime Operations Center and the General Secretariat will be based in the kingdom.
The coalition was established as a "framework for maritime defense cooperation" to enhance maritime security, protect freedom of navigation, secure international trade and energy supply routes, and safeguard maritime interests in accordance with international law, United Nations (U.N.) conventions and internationally recognized norms.
The Saudi Defense Ministry said the July 30 meeting addressed growing threats to maritime security, including the security of commercial vessels, oil tankers and maritime infrastructure.
Participants also discussed the draft coalition charter, organizational structure, command-and-control arrangements, and future operational mechanisms.
"This aims to establish an effective institutional framework for cooperation in confronting shared maritime threats in areas including the Bab el-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden," the ministry said.
The ministry said 14 countries issued a joint statement backing the creation of the coalition: Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia, Bangladesh, Yemen and the Comoros.
"The door remains open for other countries to accede to the coalition's charter after completing their national procedures," the ministry said.
The move comes amid escalating threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group declared what it called a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20 and later claimed attacks on Saudi-linked vessels.
Riyadh has vowed to protect maritime traffic and respond to threats against international navigation.
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