The UAE on Wednesday condemned the Houthi group’s attempt to target Mecca with a drone, affirming its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for the measures it is taking to safeguard its security and stability. In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry said the attempt represented “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the information available, the sisterly country, and a threat to its security and stability,” reiterating the UAE’s support for anything that would protect the Kingdom’s security.
Interception of drone south of Mecca
The UAE position came after the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced that Saudi air defences had intercepted a drone launched by the Houthis south of Mecca and destroyed it before it entered restricted airspace.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Malki said, “The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the Guests of God is a red line.” Al-Malki added that the coalition’s joint forces command “will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures against the terrorist Houthi militia and its hostile and terrorist conduct.”
Saudi Arabia renewed its call for the international community to condemn these attacks and take a firm position against targeting the holy sites and civilian and economic facilities in the Kingdom, as well as the Houthis’ threat to freedom of maritime navigation for commercial vessels and international trade.
