Pakistan has joined a Saudi-led multinational maritime coalition to help protect key shipping routes through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as attacks on commercial vessels continue to threaten one of the world's busiest trade and energy corridors.
The coalition was announced following a high-level meeting in Riyadh attended by representatives from 43 countries and the European Union. Saudi Arabia will lead the alliance and host its headquarters.
Participating states said the coalition will strengthen maritime security, protect freedom of navigation, secure international trade and energy supply routes, and expand defence cooperation. They described the initiative as purely defensive and said it would operate in accordance with international law.
The proposal follows repeated attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea that have forced many vessels to reroute around southern Africa. The longer journey has increased freight costs, insurance premiums and delivery times, disrupting global supply chains.
For Pakistan, the coalition is closely linked to trade and energy security.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and carries about 12 per cent of global trade. Pakistani exports to Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean pass through the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Disruptions along the route increase transport costs and reduce the competitiveness of exports, including textiles, rice and manufactured goods.
Pakistan also imports much of its energy from Gulf states. Higher freight charges, shipping insurance costs and oil prices increase pressure on the country's import bill and external finances.
Analysts say Pakistan's maritime interests extend beyond its coastline. The security of regional sea lanes is central to the long-term success of Gwadar Port and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, both of which depend on reliable international shipping routes. Continued instability could reduce trade flows and weaken Gwadar's role as a regional logistics hub.
Pakistan has expanded its contribution to regional maritime security through the Combined Maritime Forces, the multinational AMAN naval exercises and anti-piracy operations. Joining the Saudi-led initiative is consistent with that broader role.
The move also reinforces Pakistan's strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, a key source of financial support, energy supplies, defence cooperation and remittances.
As maritime security becomes increasingly linked to global trade and energy markets, Pakistan's decision reflects a broader assessment that protecting international shipping routes is now closely tied to its own economic and strategic interests.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
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