The Red Sea Nations Alliance
By Dr. Adel Abdelaziz Al-Faki
It appears that a strategic alliance bringing together Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Yemen (specifically, the Saudi-backed tribal coalition) is taking shape.
This emerging bloc would represent a formidable economic, military, and demographic force in the region.
Saudi Vision 2030 provides substantial support for such an alliance.
The ongoing visit of President Isaias Afwerki to Sudan and his meeting with Sudanese President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan—preceded by his visit to Cairo and talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as well as by the visit of Egypt’s Chief of Staff to Sudan and Saudi Arabia two weeks earlier, and the trip by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the United States to meet President Donald Trump—all point to significant regional developments.
According to our assessment, these developments are likely to culminate in the announcement of a strategic alliance comprising Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Yemen (specifically the Saudi-backed tribal coalition that controls the oil-rich Hadhramaut plateau).
The proposed bloc includes two of the world’s twenty largest economies: Saudi Arabia, with a GDP of roughly $1.1 trillion, and Egypt, with a GDP of about $800 billion. It also includes two of the most populous Arab states—Egypt with around 105 million people and Sudan with roughly 40 million. Additionally, Yemen, Eritrea, and Sudan all possess promising economic potential.
Saudi Vision 2030 explicitly emphasizes directing Saudi investments into various sectors, particularly agriculture in Sudan and Egypt. Saudi Arabia also controls the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund—valued at $2 trillion—and seeks to establish a strong presence in the Yemeni Hadhramaut plateau, home to vast oil reserves. Sudan’s resource-rich economy remains deeply intertwined with long-standing trade relationships with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Eritrea.
Eritrea, for its part, boasts an extensive Red Sea coastline, offering enormous opportunities for developing a blue-economy strategy.
The challenges confronting these countries and pushing them toward alliance are substantial: Ethiopia’s ambitions to secure access to the Red Sea—by military force if necessary—and its continued threats to the water security of both Sudan and Egypt through its refusal to comply with established agreements on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Sudan also faces the existential threat posed by the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. Meanwhile, a fierce struggle for influence in Yemen and the Red Sea coastlines continues between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the latter seeking strategic footholds along shores that hold essential geopolitical value for the Kingdom.
We believe it is crucial for the leadership of these nations to reach a unified vision for a comprehensive strategic alliance, as the risks and threats are clear and pressing.
God grants success.
