The key facts

  • The GCC Committee of Operations and Training of the Armed Forces held an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh, the UAE defence ministry reported.
  • Discussions covered strengthening joint military cooperation, integration mechanisms, and raising combat readiness.
  • The meeting took place amid an escalation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, but the statement did not mention them directly.

Extraordinary meeting in Riyadh

The states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday dedicated to strengthening cooperation and coordination between their armed forces. The meeting was convened by the GCC Committee of Operations and Training of the Armed Forces, the UAE ministry of defence reported. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the GCC General Secretariat; the names of participants were not disclosed. The council includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

Topics of discussion

According to the ministry, the meeting discussed issues aimed at strengthening joint military cooperation in the fields of operations and training, as well as developing mechanisms of coordination and integration between the armed forces of the Gulf states. The goal was stated as supporting joint defence efforts and raising military readiness and effectiveness in the sphere of operations and training. The statement did not disclose decisions taken and contained no direct mention of discussion of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Context: Houthi attacks and escalation in Yemen

The meeting took place against the backdrop of an escalation of attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia, as well as efforts by the Gulf states and the international community to halt them. The GCC has not yet issued a statement on the outcome of the meeting. However, its secretary general Jasem Mohammed Albudaiwi, on Sunday at the conclusion of a ministerial meeting in Manama, called for 'effective' international action against the Houthi group. The military escalation in Yemen has continued since July between government forces backed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition and the Houthis — following a period of relative calm linked to a truce in effect since April 2022. The conflict in Yemen began after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and a number of provinces in September 2014.