Let’s revitalise joint Gulf action to secure region, says Gargash

By the Editorial Team · Monday, October 12, 2026

UAE Diplomatic Adviser Dr. Anwar Gargash called for stronger Gulf Cooperation Council collaboration to bolster regional security following deadly attacks on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport. The escalation, linked to the broader US-Iran conflict and ongoing Saudi-Houthi hostilities, has exposed vulnerabilities in Gulf defenses and disrupted hundreds of flights, underscoring the need for enhanced collective defense efforts.

Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Anwar Gargash, called on Monday for renewed collective Gulf cooperation to enhance regional security amid ongoing attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. His statement follows a series of recent strikes, including a deadly assault on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport earlier this month.

Dr. Gargash emphasized that assaults against Saudi Arabia represent a threat to the entire Gulf region, underscoring the interconnected nature of security among Gulf states. He pointed to the broader conflict involving Iran and the United States, describing it as a backdrop to the recent escalation and warning that all Gulf countries are vulnerable to aggression.

“Since the start of the aggression against the Gulf Arab states, based on the aggressor’s mistaken assessment that they were the weakest link in a war we had sought to avoid, it has become clear that we are all targets and that our security is indivisible,” Dr. Gargash said in a post on the social media platform X.

The UAE official urged Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members to reinvigorate their joint security and defense efforts. He cited gaps in the existing collective security measures as factors contributing to the increased attacks, asserting that these weaknesses have emboldened adversaries to escalate their actions. “There is a need to revitalise joint Gulf action, particularly in its security and defence dimensions, and strengthen the collective security system,” he added.

The recent violence stems from the ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which has intensified in recent weeks. This confrontation is frequently viewed as an extension of the broader geopolitical competition between the United States and Iran, which escalated following events in early 2024.

On October 10, a Houthi missile or drone attack on King Khalid International Airport resulted in the deaths of 13 people, including four Saudi nationals, and wounded more than 300 others, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities. A subsequent attack on October 11 killed one Pakistani resident and injured 11 more. In total, 18 fatalities were reported over the course of repeated assaults on the airport during the past week.

The strikes have forced the temporary suspension of airport operations, disrupting flights nationwide. Data from flight analytics provider Cirium indicated that out of 1,048 scheduled departures on Monday, 362 flights—approximately 34.5 percent—were either cancelled or designated as no-fly, highlighting the ongoing disruption caused by the attacks.

The situation continues to pose a substantial challenge to Gulf security and highlights the urgency of regional coordination in defense measures as called for by UAE officials.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.