EU and Gulf states postpone summit due in Saudi Arabia
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The postponement is a further blow to Saudi Arabia’s effort to host global events despite the escalating war with the Houthis.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- EU postpones its summit with Gulf states in Saudi Arabia after Houthi attacks raised security fears. The meeting was due on Oct 24, but no new date has been set.
- The move is another setback for Saudi Arabia, which wanted to host major global events despite the war with the Houthis. The summit was also meant to show EU support for Gulf states and Saudi Arabia.
- A Houthi strike on Riyadh airport killed 13 people and wounded hundreds, and the airport stays closed. The EU said the partnership still has “great strategic importance” and will be “deepening” it.
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BRUSSELS – The European Union and Gulf states on Thursday postponed a joint summit due to be held in Saudi Arabia next week, as sustained attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis fuel concerns about air travel to and from the kingdom.
The Gulf Cooperation Council cited continued Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia and an extended suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport when announcing the postponement of the summit scheduled for Oct 24 in Riyadh.
The EU did not detail the reason for the postponement, and only said a new date would be announced “in due course”.
The postponement is the latest blow to Saudi Arabia's effort to host global events despite the escalating war with the Houthis.
The summit had been intended in part to demonstrate European solidarity with Gulf states and Saudi Arabia amid the war, making its postponement a sign of how seriously the security situation has deteriorated.
Last weekend, 13 people were killed and hundreds wounded in strikes on Riyadh’s international airport, in an attack claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis.
The airport, where dignitaries had been supposed to land, remains closed after the attacks.
The EU said it still saw “great strategic importance” in the relationship between both regions and added it would remain committed to “deepening” the partnership. REUTERS