Forum for Promoting Maritime Security in the Red Sea Gulfs of Aden and Oman

The Red Sea and the Gulfs of Aden and Oman have re-emerged as one of the most consequential maritime corridors of our time. Disruptions to freedom of navigation, escalating CBRN risks, the growing footprint of non-state actors, and the strategic recalibrations of riparian and external powers have placed this interconnected basin at the centre of global security debates. What unfolds in these waters increasingly shapes energy flows, trade routes, and the wider regional order linking the Gulf, the Horn of Africa, and the Mediterranean.

Against this backdrop, SETA is pleased to convene the Forum for Promoting Maritime Security in the Red Sea, Gulfs of Aden and Oman, bringing together diplomats, scholars, and practitioners from Türkiye, the Gulf, Iran, Yemen, Egypt, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, and beyond.

Across three sessions and a closed-door workshop, the Forum will examine maritime security as a cornerstone of an inclusive regional security architecture; explore the prospects for a regional council on maritime risks, including CBRN threats; and discuss creative pathways toward a safe maritime zone — from autonomous systems and legal frameworks to joint declarations among riparian states. The concluding workshop will draw lessons from the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, with particular attention to Bab el-Mandeb and the strategies of coastal states.

We cordially invite policymakers, members of the diplomatic community, researchers, and media representatives to join us for a day of substantive dialogue and forward-looking exchange.