Saudi Govt Hails Arab Coalition for Thwarting Houthi Attacks against Civilians

King Salman chairs a cabinet meeting. (SPA)
King Salman chairs a cabinet meeting. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt Hails Arab Coalition for Thwarting Houthi Attacks against Civilians

King Salman chairs a cabinet meeting. (SPA)
King Salman chairs a cabinet meeting. (SPA)

The Saudi cabinet hailed on Tuesday the efforts of the Saudi-led Arab coalition in confronting attempts by the terrorist Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen to attack civilians and civilian locations.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet meeting that was held virtually amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The cabinet also hailed the coalition for neutralizing the Houthis' hostile capabilities while respecting international humanitarian law.

The cabinet thanked God for the bestowed blessings of security and stability on Saudi Arabia and the programs and projects included in the State General Budget for the 2022 fiscal year. The programs and projects aim to increase human development and continue economic growth and diversification. They seek to achieve financial sustainability and place further attention to the security and health of citizens and residents. They also demonstrate the determination to continue implementing economic initiatives and reforms to realize the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.

The ministers stressed the keenness on preserving and boosting the Kingdom’s gains, as well as continuing working with all resources and capabilities to achieve the goals and aspirations of citizens regarding continuous improvement in the quality of life, development of facilities and services, the educational environment, support for housing plans, increased investment and employment opportunities, and optimal utilization of available resources, in addition to raising the level of transparency and efficiency of government expenditure in order to promote growth and development rates.

The cabinet addressed the outcomes of the official visits of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the talks with the leaders of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. It praised the outcomes of the visits and the concluded agreements and initiatives.

The cabinet also commended the outcomes of 42nd Session of GCC Supreme Council, which was held in Riyadh, to boost Gulf action and push it towards wider horizons, in addition to support cooperation, interdependence, integration and coordination in all fields, in a manner that achieves the aspirations of the citizens of the GCC as well as the unity of ranks among its members, and consolidates security, stability and prosperity for the region and its peoples.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Acting Minister of Media Dr. Majid al-Qasabi said the cabinet reviewed the outcomes of the meetings of the Follow-up and Political Consultation Committee between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Both sides were in agreement over a number of issues and crises facing the region and the world. The two countries agreed to continue their efforts to support the security and stability of the peoples of the region, stressing the importance of joint Arab action and rejecting any attempts by regional parties to interfere in the affairs of Arab countries.

The cabinet reviewed the latest regional and international developments, reiterating the Kingdom's permanent position on supporting the Yemeni government, Saudi Arabia's keenness to realize security, stability and development for the Yemeni people, and pushing all efforts to reach a political solution based on the Gulf Initiative and its executive mechanism, outcomes of the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference, and UN Security Council Resolution 2216.

The cabinet highlighted Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian work across the globe, in light of its operation of an airlift and land bridge to Afghanistan. The cabinet underlined the Kingdom's speech at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as it called on the countries of the world and international organizations to meet the humanitarian needs and sustainable aid for Afghanistan and its people.



Gulf, UN Condemnation of Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi meet in New York. (GCC)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi meet in New York. (GCC)
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Gulf, UN Condemnation of Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi meet in New York. (GCC)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi meet in New York. (GCC)

The United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned on Saturday the terrorist Houthi militia's attacks on Saudi Arabia, its targeting of civilian objects, and their dangerous impact on regional security and stability.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi exchanged views on the latest regional developments during their meeting on Saturday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The two sides discussed several regional issues and the efforts exerted toward them. Guterres praised the development, progress, and prosperity achieved by the Gulf states, as well as their regional and international efforts to promote security and stability.

Guterres and AlBudaiwi reviewed issues of mutual interest, as well as cooperation relations between the GCC and the UN, and ways to boost and consolidate them to serve shared interests.

The UN Security Council had warned of the consequences of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the threats posed to international navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, considering that the militia's military actions in Yemen, alongside its targeting of Saudi territory and commercial shipping, threaten to expand the regional conflict, undermine maritime security and international trade, and hinder regional and international efforts aimed at achieving peace in Yemen.

In a statement on Friday night, the Council members strongly condemned in the strongest terms the ongoing attacks launched by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, including those that caused damage to civilians and energy infrastructure, and resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children.

The Council stressed the importance of maintaining the safety of commercial vessels and their crews, the necessity of adhering to international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and respecting navigational rights and freedoms, at a time when military developments in Yemen raise concerns regarding the security of sea lanes and the movement of international trade.

The Council expressed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia in confronting attacks that affect civilians and civilian objects on its territory, affirming its inherent right to self-defense in accordance with international law.

The Council members demanded that the Houthis immediately cease their attacks affecting civilians and civilian objects, expressing their grave concern over reports regarding the killing and injuring of civilians, as well as the destruction of civilian objects and infrastructure resulting from these attacks


Coalition Destroys Ballistic Missile Fired by Houthis at Riyadh

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Coalition Destroys Ballistic Missile Fired by Houthis at Riyadh

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Arab Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced that Saudi air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Riyadh on Saturday morning.

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki said the Houthi escalation and their continued attempts to target civilians and civilian areas in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, home to over 8 million citizens and residents, underscore the militia’s intransigence and its persistence in deliberately and systematically targeting civilians and civilian objects in a hostile and terrorist manner.

Al-Malki added that the Houthis attempted to target civilians in the cities of Taif, Baysh, Yanbu and Farasan, saying the air defenses thwarted all the hostile attempts.

In a statement on Saturday, Al-Malki underlined the Coalition command’s inherent right to take whatever measures it deems appropriate, and in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules, to deter the behavior of the terrorist Houthi militia.

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, a threat to its security, stability, and territorial integrity, and a blatant breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.

It stressed Amman's absolute solidarity with Riyadh and its support for all measures it takes to protect its security, stability, assets, and the safety of its citizens and residents.

The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also strongly condemned the missile attack that targeted Riyadh, considering the assault on Saudi Arabia's security a grave violation of international law and a threat to regional security and stability.

In a statement, the ministry expressed Lebanon's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for the Kingdom in confronting any attack targeting its security and territorial integrity, reiterating its categorical rejection of any targeting of cities and civilian facilities or placing the lives of civilians in danger.


Saudi Arabia Lifts Early Warning Alerts Issued in Ten Cities

Saudi Civil Defense (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Civil Defense (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Lifts Early Warning Alerts Issued in Ten Cities

Saudi Civil Defense (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Civil Defense (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Civil Defense sent an all clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for potential ⁠danger in several cities of the kingdom as part of emergency procedures to alert residents.

The alerts included Riyadh, al-Kharj, Khamis Mushait, Jeddah, Taif, Yanbu, AlUla, Jazan, Farasan and Abha.

The sirens had been activated in those cities and governorates as part of the emergency early warning system before the Civil Defense later declared that the danger had passed.

The Civil Defense stressed the importance of refraining from circulating rumors and videos from unknown sources, emphasizing that information related to emergency situations should be obtained from official sources. Residents should comply with instructions and guidance issued by the relevant authorities, it added.