UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash called for the revival of joint Gulf action in defence and security after a wave of Houthi attacks targeted Saudi Arabia. Gargash wrote on X that since the aggression against Gulf Arab states began it had become clear that all were targets and that security was indivisible. He added that targeting Saudi Arabia undermined the security of the UAE and all Gulf states. Gargash stressed the need to revitalise joint action particularly in security and defence dimensions and to strengthen the collective security system.
Saudi authorities reported that the attacks over the past week killed at least 18 people and injured more than 350 others with operations at King Khalid International Airport suspended. A strike on October 10 killed 13 individuals of multiple nationalities including an American an Indian and citizens from Bangladesh Jordan Sudan Syria Egypt and the Palestinian territories while wounding over 300 the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and Saudi officials said. The following day a Pakistani national died and 11 others were injured in a fresh assault on the airport the Saudi-led coalition reported. The coalition described the strikes as war crimes and the Houthis claimed responsibility while threatening to continue targeting Saudi transit hubs except for airports in Mecca and Medina.
Flight schedule data compiled by Cirium showed that 362 or 34.54 percent of 1048 scheduled departures were cancelled or marked no-fly on October 12 due to the disruptions at Saudi airports. Air defences intercepted additional missiles and projectiles during the attacks according to the Saudi-led coalition. The incidents form part of a pattern of Houthi actions that have escalated amid the wider regional conflict.
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi strongly condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi airports in Jazan Najran and Riyadh. Al-Budaiwi described the strikes on civilian facilities as a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international law and humanitarian norms that threatened civilians and air navigation. He stated that the GCC countries stand united with Saudi Arabia and fully support measures to protect its security stability and residents. Al-Budaiwi called for the international community to hold the perpetrators accountable and stop practices that endanger regional security.
Egypt Turkey and Pakistan joined the condemnations backing Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself against the attacks a Saudi Press Agency compilation showed. Kuwait and other GCC members had issued similar statements after earlier incidents in 2026 involving drone strikes on Saudi facilities. The collective responses underscored that Gulf security remains an indivisible concern across member states.
