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Saudi Arabia Sets Up Operations Room to Serve Qataris

Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba at the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia September 8, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba at the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia September 8, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah
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Saudi Arabia Sets Up Operations Room to Serve Qataris

Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba at the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia September 8, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba at the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia September 8, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has called for the creation of a special operations room that will cater to Qatari pilgrims as they visit Makkah for the holy Hajj pilgrimage in the coming week in light of the cut of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani announced.

The operation room will be managed by a Qatari member of the ruling family and staffed by Saudi nationals.

“I am grateful to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad for their gracious hospitality and their generous responses,” Sheikh Abdullah tweeted on his official Twitter account.

“Their keenness on the interests of the people of Qatar prompted me to request a hotline to ease the travel of Qataris to their families or to their properties in Saudi Arabia. I call upon all Qataris who have any kind of request to call 00966 122367999.”

King Salman gave orders to the Saudi authorities to allow Qataris to drive through the Salwa border crossing and to fly at the King’s expense from the airports of Ahsa and Dammam in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

He also ordered the dispatching of Saudi Airlines planes to Doha to transport Qatari pilgrims for free to Jeddah, the closest airport to Makkah where the Hajj rituals are held annually.

Sheikh Abdullah added that the governor of the Saudi central bank denied allegations that the Qatari riyal was no longer traded in Saudi Arabia and assured him that there were no measures against it and that the currency was accepted in the Kingdom.

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Gulf

Arab Solidarity with Qatar After Iranian Missile Strike

Interceptor missiles are fired, after Iran's armed forces say they targeted the Al-Udeid base in a missile attack, as seen from Doha, Qatar, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
Interceptor missiles are fired, after Iran's armed forces say they targeted the Al-Udeid base in a missile attack, as seen from Doha, Qatar, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
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Arab Solidarity with Qatar After Iranian Missile Strike

Interceptor missiles are fired, after Iran's armed forces say they targeted the Al-Udeid base in a missile attack, as seen from Doha, Qatar, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
Interceptor missiles are fired, after Iran's armed forces say they targeted the Al-Udeid base in a missile attack, as seen from Doha, Qatar, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer

In a unified show of Arab solidarity, several Gulf and regional nations strongly condemned Iran’s missile strike on Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, denouncing it as a flagrant violation of international law, regional sovereignty, and the principles of good neighborliness.

Saudi Arabia led the regional response, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issuing a sharply worded statement condemning the strike as an “unjustifiable and unacceptable act” that violated international norms. Riyadh reaffirmed its full support for Qatar, pledging to mobilize all available resources to assist its Gulf neighbor in any measures it deems necessary.

Bahrain echoed the Kingdom’s stance, condemning the IRGC’s aggression as a clear breach of Qatari sovereignty and airspace. Manama’s Foreign Ministry emphasized the “bond of brotherhood and blood” that ties Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, urging restraint and peaceful resolution of disputes while affirming its unwavering support for Doha.

The United Arab Emirates condemned the attack in the strongest terms, calling it a blatant violation of Qatari sovereignty and a dangerous escalation. The UAE’s Foreign Ministry expressed full solidarity with Qatar and underscored the importance of protecting civilians and maintaining regional stability. It warned that continued military provocations could lead the region into dangerous and irreversible consequences.

For its part, Kuwait described the strike as a “grave breach” of Qatari airspace and sovereignty. The Foreign Ministry declared its total support for Qatar’s leadership and people, backing their right to respond appropriately to such an attack. Kuwait also offered to mobilize its full capabilities to support its Gulf partner.

Oman, while emphasizing its commitment to de-escalation, also denounced Iran’s strike as a violation of the sovereignty of a fellow GCC member. Muscat pointed to Israel’s earlier unlawful strike on Iranian territory as a trigger for the current escalation and warned that expanding the conflict would only lead to greater instability and humanitarian suffering.

Iraq expressed deep concern about the intensifying regional conflict. Its Foreign Ministry called for immediate restraint, warning that the Iranian strike marked a dangerous turning point that could draw more actors into an already volatile confrontation.

The Secretary-General of the GCC, Jassim Al-Budaiwi, issued a strong statement condemning the Iranian missile attack as a violation of Qatari sovereignty and a threat to the collective security of the Gulf states. He stressed that Qatar’s security is inseparable from that of the entire GCC and called on the international community and the UN Security Council to hold Iran accountable for its destabilizing actions.