Asia Defense | Security | South Asia

Bangladesh Joins Saudi-led Defense Coalition as Bab el-Mandeb Risks Grow

Bangladesh says that joining the Saudi-led defense coalition does not pose a threat to its relations with Iran.

Screenshot of a video posted by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense showing a meeting of officials of 14 countries that joined the maritime defense coalition, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, July 30, 2026.

Bangladesh has joined a Saudi-led maritime defense coalition amid rising tensions in West Asia, which are putting some of the world’s busiest shipping routes via the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden at risk.

The coalition has 14 founding members: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia.

Saudi Arabia will lead the coalition and host its headquarters. Its planned activities include intelligence sharing, joint planning, and coordinated maritime operations. However, its charter, command system and rules of engagement have not yet been made public.

The initiative followed attacks on Saudi-linked shipping and a naval blockade announced by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement on July 20. The threat became more serious after disruption in the Strait of Hormuz pushed Saudi Arabia to move more oil through Yanbu, its main port on the Red Sea.

This placed greater pressure on the route through Bab el-Mandeb. Saudi Arabia now faces risks around both of the main waterways used to move energy supplies from the Arabian Peninsula.

Bangladesh has backed the coalition, which aims to strengthen maritime security and protect freedom of navigation, international trade routes, and energy supply lines.

Dhaka had condemned the Houthi blockade on July 22, warning that it could threaten regional peace and stability and disrupt global trade and energy supplies. Its decision to join the coalition reflects Bangladesh’s own exposure to trouble in the region.

Bangladesh sends a large share of its exports to Europe. Ships carrying garments and other goods normally use the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. When shipping companies avoid this route, vessels must travel around the Cape of Good Hope. The longer journey increases fuel use, freight charges, insurance costs, and delivery times.

Bangladesh also imports cotton, chemicals, machinery, and industrial materials through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. A prolonged disruption could raise freight costs and put further pressure on production costs and consumer prices.

Saudi Arabia holds a special place in Bangladesh’s foreign relations. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1975. Bangladeshi labor migration to the kingdom began the following year and has since become one of the main foundations of the relationship. More than 752,000 Bangladeshis went to Saudi Arabia for work in 2025 alone. They accounted for over two-thirds of Bangladesh’s total overseas labor deployment that year.

Naturally, Saudi Arabia is one of Bangladesh’s largest sources of remittances. Bangladeshi workers there sent home about $5.28 billion during the first 11 months of the 2025–26 financial year, equal to roughly 16 percent of total remittance inflows. The money supports household spending on food, education, healthcare, and housing. In addition, the remittances supply U.S. dollars to an economy that frequently faces pressure on its foreign exchange reserves.

Saudi institutions are also involved in Bangladesh’s energy financing. In 2024, the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation agreed to provide $1.4 billion to the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation for fuel imports. The Saudi Fund for Development has operated in Bangladesh since 1977.

These interests help explain why Dhaka responded positively to the Saudi proposal. A refusal could have........

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