UAE and Bahrain hold naval exercise with Israel

UAE and Bahrain hold naval exercise with Israel

Part of: Prelims and GS-II – International Relations and GS-III – Defence and security

Context The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are holding their first joint naval exercise with Israel.

• The five-day manoeuvres in the Red Sea, which is linked to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, are intended to “enhance interoperability between participating forces.
• The exercise aims to safeguard freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade, which are essential to regional security and stability.

About Red Sea

• The Red Sea is a semi-enclosed tropical basin, bounded by northeastern Africa, to the west, and the Arabian peninsula, to the east.
• The basin extends between the Mediterranean Sea, to the north-west, and the Indian Ocean, to the south-east.
• At the northern end, it separates into the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez, which is connected to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal.
• At the southern end, it is connected to the Gulf of Aden, and the outer Indian Ocean, via the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb.
• It is one of the youngest oceanic zones on Earth.
• The unique habitats of the Red sea support a wide range of marine life, including sea turtles, dugongs, dolphins and many endemic fish species.
• Coral reefs mainly extend along the northern and central coasts