RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and France called on Monday for intensified diplomatic efforts to contain regional conflicts and safeguard maritime security amid escalating attacks by the Yemen-based Houthis. During a meeting in Riyadh, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, discussed the latest regional developments and efforts to mitigate the repercussions of ongoing conflicts, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Barrot condemned recent Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed France’s solidarity with the Kingdom. The ministers also stressed the important need to protect regional waterways and ensure freedom of navigation, while supporting diplomatic efforts to achieve comprehensive and sustainable solutions to regional crises. The meeting came amid a recent escalation in Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, one of which on Oct. 10 killed 12 people and injured more than 300, according to authorities in the Kingdom. One person reportedly died later as a result of their injuries. France previously condemned the attack, in which a French national was among the injured, and demanded the Houthis halt their strikes. The intensified hostilities have also heightened concerns over maritime security off Yemen’s coast in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping route that connects the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal. France is a participant in the EU’s Aspides naval mission, which was launched in early 2024 to protect commercial vessels from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Prince Faisal and Barrot also reviewed Saudi-French relations and explored ways to strengthen the partnership in various sectors to serve mutual interests, officials said.