The EU and Gulf Cooperation Council postponed their flagship political summit as host Saudi Arabia comes under attack from Yemen’s Houthis, the latest high-profile event to be disrupted by the violence.
The summit, initially scheduled for Oct. 24 in Riyadh, was supposed to bring together EU member states and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to discuss energy, trade and security.
The two regional blocs will reschedule the event on a date to be agreed on later, they said in separate statements.
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The move is a setback for Saudi Arabia as it tries to project a sense of business as usual despite the Houthi campaign and seeks international support against the Iran-backed group.
Houthi drone and missile attacks have killed at least 18 people over the past week and injured hundreds more. On Thursday, the Riyadh-led coalition fighting the group said it intercepted a missile in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Medina.
{{/usCountry}}Houthi drone and missile attacks have killed at least 18 people over the past week and injured hundreds more. On Thursday, the Riyadh-led coalition fighting the group said it intercepted a missile in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Medina.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: Gulf countries warn Iran to ‘halt attacks' after 'legitimate targets' threat
The GCC statement on the decision cited the Houthis’ “continued attempts to target the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its civilian infrastructure” and “the extension of the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport.” Bloomberg reported earlier on Thursday that the event would likely be postponed.
“The EU remains committed to deepening this partnership and sustaining the momentum built since the first Summit in October 2024,” the European Commission said.
Other major business and entertainment events have already been disrupted by the Houthi strikes.
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Organizers of the “Six Kings Slam” tennis tournament on Wednesday announced they would postpone to December. Some energy executives were unable to attend this week’s World Petroleum Congress, and the kingdom’s flagship financial gathering, the Future Investment Initiative, is looking at contingency measures including virtual attendance, Bloomberg reported.
The EU-GCC format was created in 2024 to boost cooperation between the blocs on global and regional security, energy and investment “at a time of challenging geopolitical circumstances,” according to an EU statement at the time.