The UAE considers Saudi Arabia's security an essential part of its own but believes the Kingdom must decide how to respond to the recent Houthi attacks and what assistance it wishes to seek from other countries, a senior Emirati official said on Thursday.
Speaking at the UAE Correspondents' Majlis in Dubai, Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council (FNC), condemned the expansion of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting Riyadh and other locations.
However, he stressed that decisions on how to counter these attacks must come from Saudi Arabia itself, including whether to seek external assistance and the nature of any such involvement.
It is not for the UAE to decide on Saudi Arabia's behalf whether to launch military operations against the Houthis, he explained, adding that the Emirates respects the Kingdom's choices on how to address the threat.
At the same time, Dr Al Nuaimi emphasised that Saudi Arabia's security remains a matter of considerable importance to the UAE, given the close relationship between the two countries.
The remarks come amid a sharp escalation in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. On October 10, a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300. The attacks have also targeted other airports and oil facilities, including Saudi Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran, which was struck on October 13.
Response to previous Houthi attack on UAE
During the discussion, Dr Al Nuaimi also recalled the Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi on January 17, 2022, and the UAE's subsequent response.
He said the UAE had responded independently and maintained that the Houthis were aware of the consequences of targeting the Emirates.
The January 17 attack killed three people and injured six others after strikes targeted an industrial area in Musaffah and a construction site at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
UAE's past military involvement in Yemen
Explaining the UAE's position, Dr Al Nuaimi outlined the country's previous military involvement in Yemen alongside Saudi Arabia and the different circumstances under which Emirati forces had operated in the country.
Emirati troops participated in operations against the Houthis in areas including Aden and Bab Al Mandab, while also helping protect Saudi territory.
He also referred to the Stockholm Agreement concerning Yemen, which was reached in December 2018, and the UAE's subsequent military withdrawal.
The Emirates undertook a major redeployment of its forces from Yemen in 2019, while retaining specialised personnel for counterterrorism operations.
The UAE Ministry of Defence announced on January 2, 2026, that all remaining Emirati military personnel had completed their withdrawal from Yemen.
The UAE Correspondents' Majlis was organised by the National Media Authority as a platform for dialogue between senior officials and representatives of international media organisations operating in the country.