Gargash urges Gulf states to reinforce collective defences

The UAE has urged Gulf governments to strengthen collective security arrangements, warning that attacks on Saudi Arabia threaten every country in the region.

Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said on Monday that Gulf states could no longer afford shortcomings in security and defence cooperation as missile and drone attacks heightened concerns over regional stability.

Writing on X on October 12, Gargash described Gulf security as indivisible and called for a revival of joint action, particularly in defence. He argued that weaknesses in collective arrangements had encouraged hostile actors to challenge Gulf countries.

“Targeting the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia undermines the security of the UAE and all the Gulf states,” he wrote, linking threats to Riyadh directly to the safety of its neighbours.

His intervention followed deadly strikes against Saudi infrastructure, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi authorities have been examining how missiles and drones penetrated airport defences, raising questions about the effectiveness of warning, interception and protection systems against complex attacks.

The assault on Saturday killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300, according to Saudi casualty figures available after the initial strike. Further attacks and alerts followed, disrupting flights and prompting security measures around the capital. Subsequent casualty updates indicated a higher toll as the situation developed.

Gargash said Gulf countries had been targeted because those responsible mistakenly regarded them as the weakest link in a conflict the region had sought to avoid. The developments, he argued, demonstrated that attacks directed at individual states carried consequences far beyond national borders.

“Since the beginning of the aggression against the Gulf Arab states, based on the aggressor’s mistaken assessment that they were the weakest link in a war we sought to avoid, it has become clear that we are all targeted and that our security is indivisible,” he said.

He did not set out a detailed defence proposal or announce an agreement among Gulf governments. His remarks instead amounted to a public appeal for existing cooperation to be strengthened, with emphasis on the collective security framework rather than separate national responses.

“There is a need to revive joint Gulf action, particularly in its security and defence dimensions, and to strengthen the collective security system,” Gargash said. He described failures in that field as serious and suggested they had made further threats more likely.

The comments underscored a practical challenge confronting Gulf authorities: attacks against airports, energy facilities and other civilian infrastructure can rapidly affect transport networks, commercial activity and public safety across several countries. The need for coordinated threat assessments and responses becomes sharper when missiles or drones approach from beyond national borders.

The Gulf Cooperation Council already provides a framework for consultation among the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Gargash did not specify whether he wanted changes within those institutions or additional arrangements, leaving the form and scope of any proposed improvements as yet undefined.

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated aerial threats amid an escalation involving the Houthi movement in Yemen. The attacks have led to interruptions at airports and heightened concern for passengers, workers and communities close to strategically important facilities. Saudi authorities have said they are investigating failures in the response to the Riyadh airport strike.

The UAE has condemned the attacks against Saudi Arabia and expressed support for measures taken by the kingdom to protect its security. Gargash’s statement went further by identifying deficiencies in regional coordination as a problem requiring attention across the Gulf, not solely by countries directly under attack.

His appeal came as governments weighed military readiness alongside diplomatic efforts to contain the confrontation. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, held a telephone discussion with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday about regional escalation and efforts to address it.

Iran has also expressed concern about the worsening confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis and signalled an interest in mediation. Those diplomatic contacts have not removed the immediate security concerns created by repeated attacks on transport and other infrastructure.

Gargash ended his message by saying that Gulf security was a shared responsibility that could not accommodate negligence or delay. His post offered no timetable for consultations, proposed changes to defence structures or indication that Gulf governments had agreed on new measures.