Arab coalition intercepts Houthi drone targeting Saudi Arabia

A drone Emirati armed forces say were used by Houthis in Yemen in battles against the coalition forces led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia in Abu Dhabi on June 19, 2018. (File/AFP)
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Updated 06 June 2021
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Arab coalition intercepts Houthi drone targeting Saudi Arabia

  • The drone was targeting Khamis Mushait
  • The Arab Parliament and the OIC, along with the UAE and Bahrain, strongly condemned the attack

RIYADH: The Arab coalition intercepted and destroyed late on Saturday a Houthi drone targeting Khamis Mushait south of Saudi Arabia, state TV Al-Ekhbariya reported.
We will take all necessary precautions to protect civilians as the Houthis continue to target them, the coalition added.
Last month, coalition air defenses intercepted an explosives-laden drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia toward Saudi Arabia late on Saturday, the alliance command center said.
In a statement carried by state TV Al-Ekhbariya, the coalition said the weaponized UAV was aimed at the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait along the border with Yemen.
It was the latest in a series of missile and drone attacks by the Iran-backed militia against Saudi Arabia since the Kingdom spearheaded a coalition to restore the UN-recognized government in 2015. 
Ignoring calls to support the peace negotiations being brokered by the UN, the militia has also refused to end its offensive in the city of Marib.

The Arab Parliament strongly condemned the repeated attempts of the Houthi militia to target Khamis Mushait.
Speaker Adel Al-Asoumi affirmed the Arab Parliament’s full support for the Kingdom in all measures it takes to protect its stability and national security and preserve the safety of its citizens.
Al-Asoumi warned of the danger of the continuation of these terrorist attacks, which are a blatant defiance to international law.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also strongly condemned the Houthi attempt to target civilians in Khamis Mushait 
Secretary-General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen said the OIC “supports all measures taken by the coalition forces to deal with the terrorist practices of the Houthi militia to protect civilians and civilian objects, in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
The UAE and Bahrain also issued similar statements and urged the international community to take an immediate and decisive stance to stop these repeated acts targeting vital and civil facilities, the security of the Kingdom, energy supplies and global economic stability.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said that “the continuation of these attacks in recent times is a dangerous escalation, and new evidence of these militias’ efforts to undermine security and stability in the region.”


Pakistan confers second-highest civilian award on Saudi commerce minister for strengthening ties

Updated 12 January 2026
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Pakistan confers second-highest civilian award on Saudi commerce minister for strengthening ties

  • Ambassador Ahmad Farooq confers Hilal-e-Pakistan on Majid Al-Kassabi in Riyadh
  • Award reflects the depth of the longstanding partnership and strong trade relations between the Kingdom and Pakistan

RIYADH: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Ahmad Farooq has conferred the country’s second-highest civilian award on Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Kassabi for his role in strengthening ties between Islamabad and Riyadh, Pakistan’s Embassy in Saudi Arabia said.

Farooq presented the Hilal-e-Pakistan to Al-Kassabi during a meeting in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The parties also discussed ways to enhance bilateral trade relations.

“On behalf of the president of Pakistan, Ambassador Ahmad Farooq conferred the Hilal-e-Pakistan on Majid Al-Kassabi, minister of commerce of Saudi Arabia, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to strengthening Pakistan–Saudi Arabia relations,” the embassy wrote on X.

The award reflects the depth of the longstanding partnership and strong trade relations between the Kingdom and Pakistan and serves as an impetus to further strengthen joint cooperation for the benefit of both countries and their peoples, the SPA reported.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial ties that date back decades and include cooperation in several sectors such as defense, trade, economy, agriculture, livestock and minerals.

Saudi Arabia is the largest source of foreign remittances to Pakistan, with over 2 million Pakistani expats residing in the Kingdom. Riyadh has also helped Pakistan during several economic crises over the years, providing oil on deferred payments and loans in critical times.

The two countries signed a landmark strategic partnership agreement in September 2025, according to which an act of aggression against one country will be seen as an attack on both.