A satellite view of the Bab Al Mandeb strait between Yemen and Djibouti. Getty
A satellite view of the Bab Al Mandeb strait between Yemen and Djibouti. Getty
A satellite view of the Bab Al Mandeb strait between Yemen and Djibouti. Getty
A satellite view of the Bab Al Mandeb strait between Yemen and Djibouti. Getty

Policed maritime corridor will protect merchant ships passing through Gulf from pirates


Ramola Talwar Badam
  • English
  • Arabic

Naval forces have demarcated a corridor in the Gulf of Aden and Bab el Mandab that warships will police to allow merchant ships safe passage from high speed boats laden with explosives, a spillover from the conflict in Yemen, and pirates.

The Combined Maritime Forces, a 32-nation multi-national naval force, said it will focus surveillance operations along a newly announced Maritime Security Transit Corridor for vessels passing through the strategic southern Red Sea route following recent attempted strikes on ships.

“The CMF seeks to encourage the merchant community to operate in a specific area so that CMF can focus our assets on that area, versus spreading them over a much wider area,” said Lt Cmdr Mark Vickers, deputy public affairs officer of the Combined Maritime Forces. “This provides mutual benefit to both the merchant community and naval forces.”

Read more: Iran 'could use Houthis to disrupt key maritime routes'

Military assets would be deployed to ensure “they are able to deliver the greatest effect against the threat to freedom of navigation,” he said, but declined to specify the number of naval vessels that would provide protection.

The maritime corridor is a two-way link that directly connects the Bab el Mandeb strait with the internationally recommended transit corridor or IRTC in the Gulf of Aden.

CMF Commander Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan outlined the dangers from piracy and attacks by small boats with small arms, explosives and rocket propelled grenades during a Combined Maritime Forces Commander’s conference in Bahrain this month.

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Read more:

In Depth: The human cost of piracy

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While strikes from high speed boats were not successful and the identity of the attackers was unclear, the attacks demonstrated the risk of passage through these waters, he said.

“Beyond piracy and terrorism, the spillage of conflict in Yemen and how it impacts traffic in the Gulf of Aden, Bab el Mandeb and the Red Sea is a concern. The nexus of these dynamic threats in a constrained area is why we recommend an expansion of not just our naval presence but our operations and how we do business between the area from the Bab el Mandeb and the Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor. No longer can that area between the Bab el Mandeb and the start of the transit corridor be ignored,” Vice Admiral Donegan said.

“Our multi-national naval force is aware of the threat of piracy and explosive laden boats. We are constantly reinforcing to best counter them.”

The CMF said it was important to position warships to respond effectively as attacks can advance rapidly.

Somali Puntland forces uncover weapons seized in a boat on the shores of the Gulf of Aden in the city of Bosasso, Puntland region, Somalia. Abdiqani Hassan / Reuters
Somali Puntland forces uncover weapons seized in a boat on the shores of the Gulf of Aden in the city of Bosasso, Puntland region, Somalia. Abdiqani Hassan / Reuters

“The purpose of this corridor is to provide a recommended merchant traffic route around which naval forces can focus their presence and surveillance efforts. It is recommended that all vessels use the MSTC to benefit from military presence and surveillance,” a CMF statement said.

Recent aggressions against merchant ships included the firing of rocket propelled grenades on an oil tanker in Bab el Mandeb on May 31, likely by Houthi rebels and a pirate attack on a bulk tanker on April 8 in the Gulf of Aden, to which the Indian and Chinese navy responded to distress calls from the crew.

Other regional military partners agreed that tactically placed naval forces could swiftly assist vessels radioing for help.

“The new corridor extension to the IRTC has been implemented to protect merchant ships from the wider threat from small boats with explosives emanating from the Yemen conflict,” said Lt Col David Fielder, spokesman for the European Union Naval Force that patrols the internationally recommended transit corridor or IRTC in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

“We welcome the establishment of the new corridor which will enhance the security of vessels to deter against a myriad of maritime threats.”

The EU Navfor has an anti-piracy mandate as part of Operation Atlanta and said cooperation between military units would continue.

“The EU Navfor will continue, as we have always done, to cooperate at the tactical and strategic level with CMF, including intelligence gathering and surveillance capabilities to deter maritime security threats to merchant shipping in this region,” he said.

In its new advisory on setting up the expanded corridor, the CMF stressed the need for ships to use armed security.

“Recent piracy attacks in 2017 serve to emphasise the importance of robustly following this guidance,” the CMF said.

Describing this as guidance and not a directive, the joint force said it remained up to vessels operators to decide whether to use the corridor or armed security based on their own risk assessments.

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WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

If you go…

Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.

Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days. 

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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  • Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
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Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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While you're here
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

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House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
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