Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the UAE Federal National Council, said Saudi Arabia must decide how to respond to the recent Houthi attacks and whether to seek assistance from other countries.

Speaking at the UAE Journalists’ Majlis in Dubai on Thursday, October 15, 2026, he condemned the Houthi attacks on Riyadh and other parts of Saudi Arabia, stressing that the Kingdom’s security is an integral part of the UAE’s security.

Al Nuaimi said Saudi Arabia must determine how to confront the attacks, whether it requires foreign assistance and, if it seeks help, what form of support it considers appropriate.

He said the UAE could not decide on Saudi Arabia’s behalf whether to launch military operations against the Houthis and respected Riyadh’s choices in addressing threats.

Escalation in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

The remarks followed an escalation in attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on Saudi airports and oil infrastructure.

According to an announcement by the Saudi-led military coalition on October 15, 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh during October left 17 people dead and 333 injured.

On October 13, Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran was also targeted in an attack that caused a limited fire but no casualties.

Reference to the 2022 Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi

Al Nuaimi also referred to the Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi on January 17, 2022, which killed three people and injured six others.

The attack targeted fuel storage facilities in Musaffah and a construction site at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Al Nuaimi said the UAE responded independently at the time and that the Houthis were aware of the consequences of targeting the country.

UAE’s former military presence in Yemen explained

Al Nuaimi also referred to the previous involvement of UAE forces in military operations in Yemen, including in Aden and Bab Al Mandab.

He noted that the UAE withdrew most of its forces from Yemen in 2019, although limited missions by specialist counterterrorism units continued afterwards.

The UAE Ministry of Defence also announced on January 2, 2026, that the return of all the country’s military forces from Yemen had been completed.

Al Nuaimi stressed that the UAE’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security did not mean making decisions on Riyadh’s behalf about military action or requests for foreign assistance.