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 defence ministry has announced.
The coalition commander will oversee joint naval defence, coordinate with member states and other maritime coalitions, and carry out missions under the coalition's charter, the ministry said through X on Thursday.
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 August 12-13 to finalise 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 Defence Coalition aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation, international trade, and energy supply routes in the Bab al Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
