Saudi admiral named commander of multinational maritime coalition

Saudi Rear Adm. Abdullah bin Salem Al-Shehri has been appointed as the commander of a multinational maritime coalition for key regional maritime routes, the Defense Ministry announced on 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 through US social media company X.

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 ahead of their formal accession as founding members, it added.

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," it said.

An additional statement will also be issued containing the names of the countries that have completed the signing procedures, the ministry noted.

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, it stressed.

On July 30, Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries announced the creation of the Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation, international trade, and energy supply routes in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.