The member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held an extraordinary meeting to discuss strengthening cooperation and coordination between their armed forces amidst the continuing attacks by the Yemeni Houthi group on Saudi Arabia.
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The meeting was organized by the GCC Armed Forces Operations and Training Committee on Wednesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, according to a statement from the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense.
The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. The ministry stated that the extraordinary meeting took place at the headquarters of the GCC General Secretariat, but did not disclose the names of the participants.
According to the ministry, the meeting discussed a number of issues aimed at strengthening joint military cooperation in the areas of operations and training, as well as developing coordination and integration mechanisms among the armed forces of the Gulf states.
The discussions also aimed to support the Gulf states' joint defense efforts and enhance military readiness and efficiency in the areas of operations and training, according to a ministry statement.
The statement did not detail the decisions reached at the meeting or directly mention the discussion of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The meeting took place amid escalating attacks by Yemen's Houthi group on Saudi Arabia and efforts by Gulf states and the international community to halt the attacks.
The GCC has not yet issued a statement regarding the meeting. However, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi called for "effective" international action against the Houthi group on Sunday, concluding a ministerial meeting in Manama.
Yemen has seen a military escalation since July between government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi group, after a period of relative calm linked to a ceasefire that began in April 2022.
The conflict in Yemen began after the Houthi group seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in September 2014.
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