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Gulf

Qatar Says Israel Is Responsible for Escalation, Oman, Bahrain Call for Restraint

Smoke rises from an area near a power plant outside Ashkelon, Israel, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP)
Smoke rises from an area near a power plant outside Ashkelon, Israel, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP)
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Qatar Says Israel Is Responsible for Escalation, Oman, Bahrain Call for Restraint

Smoke rises from an area near a power plant outside Ashkelon, Israel, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP)
Smoke rises from an area near a power plant outside Ashkelon, Israel, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP)

Qatar's foreign ministry issued a statement on Saturday saying that Israel alone was responsible for the ongoing escalation of violence with the Palestinian people.

It said Qatar calls on both sides to exercise utmost restraint and calls on the international community to prevent Israel from using these events as an excuse to launch a disproportionate war against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.  

Oman called on Israel and the Palestinians to exercise maximum self-restraint, the state news agency reported quoting an official statement.

The statement asked the international community and international parties to "intervene immediately to stop the ongoing escalation and resort to the rules of international law".

Bahrain called for self-restraint in the Gaza Strip, saying that continued fighting had negative consequences on the region's peace and stability.

It stressed "the need for de-escalation among all parties to preserve the lives of people" in a statement from the foreign ministry.

"The continuation of violence will impede efforts aiming at achieving a just and lasting peace in the Middle East," it said, adding that it called upon the international community to help end the armed conflict and to protect civilians. 

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Gulf

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Affirm Continued Joint Efforts to Confront Attacks

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir in Riyadh. SPA
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir in Riyadh. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Affirm Continued Joint Efforts to Confront Attacks

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir in Riyadh. SPA
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir in Riyadh. SPA

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz said early on Saturday that he had affirmed with Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in Riyadh continued joint efforts to confront attacks against the Kingdom in accordance with the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.

The pact was signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye last month.

Prince Khalid met with Munir to discuss the attacks on Makkah and on civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

They commended the outcomes of the meeting of the chiefs of staff of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement states and stressed the continuation of joint efforts to confront the attacks under the agreement, SPA said.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State, Cabinet Member, and National Security Adviser Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban; Chief of the General Staff Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili; and Adviser to the Minister of Defense for Intelligence Affairs Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif, along with several Pakistani officials.

Hours earlier, the military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye reviewed threats facing Saudi Arabia at ⁠a ⁠meeting in the Saudi capital.

Gulf

Saudi Coalition Says it Intercepts Missiles, Drones

Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki
Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki
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Saudi Coalition Says it Intercepts Missiles, Drones

Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki
Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki

Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki said early on Saturday that the Coalition had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Houthis towards the Kingdom.

Al-Malki said in separate statements that the missiles were headed towards Khamis Mushait and the drones towards the capital, Riyadh, adding that the Coalition was monitoring the missile threat and drones launched at the Kingdom.

The Saudi civil defense had ⁠sent alerts overnight ⁠for Khamis Mushait and Abha.

Gulf

Albudaiwi: Water Security is Strategic Priority for Gulf Stability, Energy Security

Part of the "Water as a Strategic Imperative: From Global Challenges to Collective Action" session held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York (GCC)
Part of the "Water as a Strategic Imperative: From Global Challenges to Collective Action" session held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York (GCC)
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Albudaiwi: Water Security is Strategic Priority for Gulf Stability, Energy Security

Part of the "Water as a Strategic Imperative: From Global Challenges to Collective Action" session held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York (GCC)
Part of the "Water as a Strategic Imperative: From Global Challenges to Collective Action" session held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York (GCC)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi stressed that water security constitutes a strategic priority for GCC member states, directly intersecting with human security, economic prosperity, food security, and energy security as a fundamental pillar of stability.

Albudaiwi made the remarks during a panel titled "Water as a Strategic Imperative: From Global Challenges to Collective Action," organized by the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, SPA reported.

He noted that enduring regional water scarcity has driven GCC countries to innovate, invest, and build extensive expertise in desalination, wastewater recycling, demand management, and advanced technologies, while strengthening the water-energy-food-climate nexus.

Emphasizing that technology alone cannot guarantee water security, Albudaiwi highlighted ongoing GCC joint initiatives to establish a regional water grid interconnection. The project aims to bolster supply security, regional readiness, and emergency response capabilities during crises.

He also called for leveraging artificial intelligence, smart water management systems, and renewable energy, alongside collaborative financing models linking governments, development institutions, and the private sector to develop scalable infrastructure projects.

Albudaiwi concluded by pointing to the upcoming UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal in Abu Dhabi in December 2026, as a pivotal platform to advance multilateral water partnerships and tangible investments.