{"id":2260,"date":"2026-08-06T16:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T16:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2260"},"modified":"2026-08-06T16:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T16:30:08","slug":"saudi-arabia-names-commander-for-maritime-defence-coalition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2260","title":{"rendered":"Saudi Arabia names commander for maritime defence coalition"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__divider\">\n<div class=\"listen-to-article\"><button class=\"listen-to-article__button\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><title>Listen<\/title>Listen (2 mins)<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__update-reading-list-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"update-reading-list\">\n<p class=\"update-reading-list__button-text\">Save<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button 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class=\"article-featured-image\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AFP__20260725__C37P2FW__v4__HighRes__YemenIranUsIsraelWarMarineShipping-1-1785068989.jpg?resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Vessels transit the Bab el-Mandeb Strait\"><\/div><figcaption>Vessels transit the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of southern Yemen [File: Khaled Ziad\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-info m--t-20 m--desktop-b-30 m--b-mobile-20\">\n<div class=\"byline byline--single-avatar\">\n<div class=\"avatars-container\"><a class=\"avatar\" aria-hidden=\"true\" href=\"\/author\/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2017-06-08T131939Z_1189275883_RC11B0FE7F20_RTRMADP_3_GULF-QATAR-JAZEERA-1714943623.jpg?resize=96%2C96&amp;quality=80\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-content\">\n<div class=\"contributors-list contributors-list--byline\"><span class=\"contributors-list__by-prefix\">By <\/span><a href=\"\/author\/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458\">Al Jazeera Staff<\/a> and <!-- -->Anadolu<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<div class=\"date-simple\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 6 Aug 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">6 Aug 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wysiwyg wysiwyg--all-content\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-sourcepos=\"3:1-3:209;73-281\">Saudi Arabia has announced the appointment of a commander for a multinational maritime defence alliance to protect freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-sourcepos=\"3:1-3:209;73-281\">The Saudi Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Thursday that Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Salem Al-Shehri has been appointed commander of the coalition a week after its <a href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/30\/saudi-arabia-announces-maritime-defence-alliance-to-secure-vital-waterways\">establishment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"more-on__list\">\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 1 of 3<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/30\/saudi-arabia-announces-maritime-defence-alliance-to-secure-vital-waterways\">Saudi Arabia announces maritime defence alliance to secure vital waterways<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 2 of 3<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2026\/8\/1\/yemens-houthis-deny-plan-to-charge-ships-transiting-red-sea\">Yemen\u2019s Houthis deny plan to charge ships transiting Red Sea<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 3 of 3<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/opinions\/2026\/8\/4\/the-gulf-can-no-longer-outsource-its-security\">Misread as passive, the Gulf is quietly ending fifty years of dependence<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-sourcepos=\"3:1-3:209;73-281\">Al-Shehri will oversee joint naval defence, coordinate with member states and other maritime coalitions, and carry out missions under the coalition\u2019s charter, it added on X.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-sourcepos=\"3:1-3:209;73-281\">Bahrain, Bangladesh, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye and Yemen announced the formation of the coalition on July 30.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">More countries are completing the procedures to join the coalition with some having already signed the joint declaration and others preparing to sign the declaration and charter before their formal accession as founding members, the Saudi statement said.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-sourcepos=\"9:1-9:226;903-1128\">The ministry described the coalition as \u201can open international coalition that welcomes the accession of all countries that align with its goals and principles\u201d, adding that it continues to receive new membership applications.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" data-sourcepos=\"11:1-11:163;1130-1292\">The coalition will hold a planning meeting August 12-13 to finalise its institutional framework and pave the way for more countries to join, according to the ministry.<\/p>\n<p>The 14 countries that announced the formation of the Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition declared their intent to protect freedom of navigation and secure international trade routes and energy supply routes in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which form a strategic maritime corridor linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n<div class=\"container--ads in-article-ads\">\n<div class=\"ads\"><span class=\"ads__title\"> Advertisement <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This comes as the United States-Israel war on Iran has become focused on the Strait of Hormuz. The virtual closure of the route, through which about 20 percent of global oil and gas supplies transited before the conflict, is weighing heavily on the global economy.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display:block;position:relative;min-width:0px;max-width:770px\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ListenListen (2 mins) Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylink googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Vessels transit the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of southern Yemen [File: Khaled Ziad\/AFP] By Al Jazeera Staff and Anadolu Published On 6 Aug 20266 Aug 2026 Saudi Arabia has announced the appointment of a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - 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