From Suez Canal to Bab al-Mandab Strait: Navigating Maritime Security in the World's Busiest Maritime Trade Corridor

Year 2025, Volume: 17 Issue: 1, 37 - 66, 31.10.2025

Abebe Yirga Ayenalem , Gashaw Ayferam Endalayehu

https://doi.org/10.47932/ortetut.1744422

Abstract

Using the sustainable maritime security framework as an analytical lens, this study examines the evolving dynamics of maritime security and geopolitical rivalries, and their impact on the safety and stability of trade routes through the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the post-COVID pandemic era. The study adopts a qualitative research approach and relies primarily on secondary data sources. It argues that the Red Sea region, which stretches from the northern tip of the Suez Canal to the southern tip of Bab-el-Mandeb, is not only a vital maritime trade route but also a geopolitically significant region for military presence and power projection by major powers competing for influence. The findings reveal that maritime insecurity has intensified in the post-pandemic period, driven by military buildups, competitive port development, piracy, terrorism, and regional instability. The study further implies that sustainable maritime security in the region is undermined by interrelated threats across four sectors: political, economic, environmental, and social.

Keywords

Maritime security , Maritime trade , Red Sea , Suez Canal , Bab al-Mandab Strait , Indian Ocean

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