Saudi Arabia would serve as the founding and leading state of the alliance and host its headquarters. They include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia. Red Sea tensionsThe proposal comes as attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea continue to raise concerns over global trade and energy supplies. On July 20, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group announced what it described as a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea and has since claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on Saudi-linked vessels. In response, Saudi Arabia has carried out air strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen’s Hodeidah, saying the sites were being used to threaten international shipping.