Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, said on Monday, October 12, that targeting Saudi Arabia undermines the security of the UAE and all Arab countries in the region. In a post on X, he said the “serious failure” to pursue joint security and defence cooperation had emboldened “others” to encroach on these countries, stressing the need to strengthen the collective security system.

Gargash wrote that since the aggression against the region’s Arab countries began, “it has become clear that we are all being targeted and that our security is indivisible”. He said the aggression stemmed from the aggressor’s miscalculation that these countries were the “weakest link” in a war they had sought to avoid. He did not identify the aggressor.

The UAE President’s diplomatic adviser added: “Targeting our brotherly country, Saudi Arabia, undermines the security of the UAE and all Gulf countries. It is essential to revive joint Gulf cooperation, particularly in security and defence, and to strengthen the collective security system.” He continued: “This is precisely where a serious failure occurred, emboldening others to encroach on us. Regional security is a shared responsibility that allows no room for negligence or delay.”

photo_2026-10-12_09-44-24

Gargash’s message came after several consecutive days of attacks on airports in Riyadh and Abha, claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group. According to Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority, the October 10 attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh left at least 12 people dead and 309 injured. The airport was targeted again on October 11. The Saudi-led coalition also said early on Monday that it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards Khamis Mushait in the country’s southwest.

In statements issued on October 8 and 9, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the Houthi attacks on airports in Riyadh and Abha as a “blatant violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty” and a threat to the Kingdom’s security and stability. In both statements, the ministry reaffirmed the UAE’s full solidarity with Riyadh and its support for all measures taken to safeguard the country’s security and stability.

Gargash had previously criticised the Gulf Cooperation Council’s record. In late April, he said cooperation among GCC members during what he called “Iranian aggression” had been at its weakest level compared with previous regional crises. On June 3, referring to what he described as “repeated Iranian aggression” against Kuwait and Bahrain, Gargash wrote on X that no Gulf country should be left to face attacks alone.