Qatar's former Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) secretary-general, HE Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Attiyah, has strongly condemned attacks by Yemen's Houthi group against Saudi Arabia, describing them as a violation of the kingdom's security, stability and sovereignty.
In a statement to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE al-Attiyah, a Qatari Minister of State, said the reported targeting of the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah showed a "disregard for the sanctity of Islam's most sacred sites."
He also condemned attacks targeting civilians in Saudi Arabia and said aggression against Saudi Arabia threatened not only the kingdom but also the security and stability of all GCC member states and their populations. HE al-Attiyah warned that attempts to destabilise the region threatened decades of progress in regional security and stability, built on co-operation, co-ordination and solidarity among Gulf countries.
He expressed confidence that the attacks would fail to undermine the stability established by Gulf states. HE Al-Attiyah also praised the Saudi leadership's response, saying its position reflected the kingdom's determination to confront the attacks.