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French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday for an unexpected meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, seeking to show France's support for the kingdom as attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group escalate.
Macron's visit, the first by a Western leader to Saudi Arabia since the latest wave of Houthi attacks began this month, also aims to secure fuel supplies as France grapples with rising energy costs and domestic political pressure.
The French president's office confirmed the trip, describing it as an effort to demonstrate solidarity with Saudi Arabia and advance plans to secure and diversify hydrocarbon supplies.
Macron began his Gulf tour in Kuwait on Monday before visiting the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
The trip comes amid rising regional tensions and disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that carries a significant share of global oil supplies.
Recent Houthi attacks have disrupted Saudi Arabia’s operations, forcing Riyadh airport to close and prompting the postponement of a major investment conference.
The group’s attempts to blockade Saudi ports have also hampered the kingdom’s oil exports, raising concerns over regional energy supplies.
The Houthis claimed responsibility Wednesday for a ballistic missile strike targeting a Saudi-led coalition operations room at the Badr camp in Aden, Yemen’s interim capital.
The attack followed two missile strikes that landed within Aden Airport's perimeter on Friday and a deadly Houthi missile strike on command centers inside the Al-Maashiq presidential compound a day earlier. The group also targeted a military base at Al Rayyan airport in the southern city of Al Mukalla with missiles and drones.
Earlier Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition announced that it had intercepted and destroyed five drones launched toward Saudi Arabia’s Medina and Eastern regions, a claim the Houthis denied hours later.
As the attacks continue, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states held an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss closer cooperation among their armed forces.
The GCC Armed Forces Operations and Training Committee convened the meeting at the organization's General Secretariat headquarters, according to a statement from the UAE Defense Ministry.
The discussions covered joint military operations and training, along with measures to improve coordination and integration among Gulf armed forces. The ministry also highlighted efforts to strengthen collective defense and improve military readiness.
The statement did not identify the participants or disclose any decisions. It also did not explicitly mention the Houthi attacks.
The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. Its Secretary-General, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, called for effective international action against the Houthis following a ministerial meeting in Manama on Sunday.
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