Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the UAE National Media Office, warned that exploiting the deadly Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to sow discord between the Saudi and Emirati peoples would only benefit the Houthis.

In a post on X on Monday, October 12, Al Hamed wrote: “No one’s death is a cause for celebration or gloating. The victims at Riyadh airport are all part of our family, and their grief is our grief.”

He stressed that those exploiting the sorrow caused by the incident to create divisions between Saudis and Emiratis were only serving the Houthis. The UAE official also urged users to avoid arguments on social media and to maintain civility in their discussions.

Concluding his message, Al Hamed underscored the depth of UAE-Saudi relations, saying the bonds between the two countries were far too deep to be weakened by malicious campaigns. He added that Emiratis and Saudis had been, and would remain, brothers in good times and bad.

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The warning comes amid a sharp rise in tensions between Saudi and Emirati accounts on X in recent days, according to the Arabi 21 news website. The outlet reported that following the deadly attack on Riyadh airport on Saturday, October 10, some Saudi accounts accused Emirati users of celebrating the victims’ deaths.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, posted an image of the Saudi flag on Instagram on Sunday, October 11, writing: “My Lord, make this land secure.”

Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the UAE Federal National Council, also stressed at the annual TRENDS Global conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday that attacks on Saudi Arabia threaten not only the country’s security but that of the entire region. He also criticised political leaders who use social media to sow division and mistrust among nations.

The statements followed a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, October 10, killed 12 people and injured 309. The death toll rose to 13 after an Indian citizen died from his injuries on Sunday. In a separate attack on Sunday, a Pakistani citizen was killed and 11 people were injured.

In separate statements issued on October 11 and 12, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport, describing them as a flagrant violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and a threat to the country’s security and stability. The ministry expressed the UAE’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed its support for all measures taken to safeguard the Kingdom’s security and stability.

This is not the first time Al Hamed has sought to ease media tensions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. On July 21, he and Saudi Media Minister Salman Al Dosary posted coordinated messages on X, highlighting the two countries’ historic ties and urging media outlets to refrain from actions that could undermine them.

Reuters described the joint statements at the time as a sign that the two countries were seeking to project unity after months of political differences, including over developments in Yemen.

In August 2024, Al Hamed also launched the “Block Without Comment” campaign to counter accounts accused of fuelling divisions among Arab nations, particularly Gulf countries. He urged users to block such accounts rather than engage in arguments with them.