The coastal regions surrounding the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf constitute a vital economic pillar; however, they are now facing complex and interlinked threats. These include acute risks such as cyclones and ash oods in the north and the Indian Ocean, as well as cumulative risks such as sea-level inundation and soil erosion in the south and the Gulf. In addition, there is ongoing ecosystem degradation and an escalation of con icts, particularly in the Yemeni context. These challenges threaten livelihoods, food security, and infrastructure, necessitating a shift in management paradigms from “Crisis Response” to “Building Sustainable Resilience.” This paper goes beyond the boundaries of traditional crisis response or mere recovery from shocks, adopting a strategic approach that seeks to transform hotspots of vulnerability into “Zones of Economic, Environmental, and Social Resilience” by 2035. This is achieved through the adoption of Transformative Resilience as a high-level strategy aimed at structurally reshaping coastal systems and their economies to become more sustainable. The paper aims to build an integrated Blue Region that views the sea not merely as a reservoir of resources, but as a vital institutional system that serves as a bridge for cooperation and shared prosperity, creating organic integration that links environmental stability in fragile states with economic security in wealthier countries. This resilience is activated through the adoption of nature-based, technological, knowledge-based solutions, and resilient infrastructure. To achieve this goal, the paper employs an in-depth mixed-methods research methodology, integrating quantitative, qualitative, and spatial analysis to identify context-speci c gaps and vulnerabilities. Data collection tools included a literature review, policy analysis, and semi-structured interviews with 14 experts and government o cials, representatives of international and regional organizations, and a community leader. In addition, focus group discussions were conducted with 20 participants from coastal communities in the cities of Aden and Mocha, ensuring triangulation and cross-validation of data. The study also applied the Gornitz Index to assess levels of physical vulnerability, and the Her ndahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) to evaluate the degree of diversi cation of coastal economic activities. The analysis revealed a regional resilience gap resulting from the intersection of three risks: climate change, severe environmental degradation, and institutional weakness. The study further demonstrated that overreliance on limited resources increases economic risk levels, as indicated by the HHI. It also showed that resilience patterns and their feasibility vary fundamentally according to geographic and nancial contexts. Hotspots of vulnerability emerge in di erent forms: existential and social vulnerability in con ict-a ected countries such as Yemen and Somalia, threatening livelihoods and food security; and engineering and capital vulnerability in wealthier contexts, threatening high-value infrastructure and investments. These gaps are exacerbated by the absence of integrated coastal governance and the escalation of information risks caused by data shortages reaching up to 70% in Yemen and 65% in the Horn of Africa countries.
