Saudi Arabia must decide response to Houthi attacks, says UAE official

Saudi Arabia must decide how to respond to Houthi attacks, UAE official Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi said Thursday at the UAE Correspondents’ Majlis in Dubai, Khaleej Times reported. He said the Kingdom’s security is essential to the UAE, but Riyadh alone must choose what assistance to seek.

Who should decide Saudi Arabia’s response to Houthi attacks?

Al Nuaimi said the decision belongs to Saudi Arabia. That includes whether to seek outside help and what form it would take. He said it is not for the UAE to decide whether the Kingdom launches military operations against the Houthis. The Emirates respects Riyadh’s choices.

Al Nuaimi condemned the expansion of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on Riyadh and other locations. He stressed that Saudi security is important to the UAE given the close relationship between the two countries. He chairs the Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council.

How have Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia escalated?

The remarks come amid a sharp rise in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. On October 10, a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300.

The attacks have also targeted other airports and oil facilities. Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran was struck on October 13.

How did the UAE respond to the 2022 Houthi attack?

Al Nuaimi recalled the Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi on January 17, 2022. He said the UAE responded independently and that the Houthis knew the consequences of targeting the Emirates.

The attack killed three people and injured six others. Strikes hit an industrial area in Musaffah and a construction site at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

What was the UAE’s role in Yemen?

Al Nuaimi outlined the UAE’s earlier military involvement in Yemen alongside Saudi Arabia. He noted that Emirati forces operated under different circumstances over time. Emirati troops took part in operations against the Houthis in areas including Aden and Bab Al Mandab, and they also helped protect Saudi territory.

He referred to the Stockholm Agreement on Yemen, reached in December 2018, and the UAE’s later military withdrawal. The UAE redeployed much of its forces from Yemen in 2019 but kept specialized personnel for counterterrorism operations. On January 2, 2026, the UAE Ministry of Defense announced that all remaining Emirati military personnel had completed their withdrawal from Yemen.

The National Media Authority organized the Majlis as a platform for dialogue between senior officials and international media organizations operating in the country.