The armed forces of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states held an extraordinary meeting of their Operations and Training Committee in Riyadh on Wednesday, aimed at strengthening military coordination and readiness, according to a statement from the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense.
Source: UAE Ministry of Defense statement, reported by WAM-based coverage
The meeting took place at the headquarters of the GCC General Secretariat in Riyadh. Kuwait took part with a delegation headed by Brigadier General Raed Al-Sakran, Assistant Chief of the General Staff, Kuwait Times reported.
Source: Kuwait Times via EIN News
What was on the agenda
According to the UAE ministry, the committee discussed strengthening joint military cooperation in the areas of operations and training, and developing coordination and integration mechanisms among the armed forces of the Gulf states. The talks were also aimed at supporting the Gulf states' joint defence efforts and enhancing military readiness and efficiency.
The UAE statement did not disclose the names of the other participants, did not detail any decisions taken, and made no direct mention of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman make up the Gulf Cooperation Council, founded in 1981.
Why it matters
The meeting comes amid escalating attacks by Yemen's Houthi group on Saudi Arabia, and Gulf and international efforts to halt them. On Sunday, at the conclusion of a GCC ministerial meeting in Manama, Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi called for "effective" international action against the Houthi group.
For Awaaz Punjab readers, Gulf security is not a distant story: millions of Indian workers — among them lakhs of Punjabis — live and work across the six GCC states, and the region's security directly affects their jobs, their flights home and the remittances their families depend on.
What is solid
- The GCC Armed Forces Operations and Training Committee held an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday, per the UAE Ministry of Defense.
- Kuwait's delegation was led by Brig. Gen. Raed Al-Sakran, per Kuwait Times.
- The agenda covered joint operations and training cooperation, coordination mechanisms and readiness, per the UAE statement.
What is only claimed
- Whether the meeting produced specific new joint-defence decisions — the UAE statement gave no details of outcomes.
- Any direct link between this committee meeting and a specific Houthi attack — the official statement did not mention the Houthis; the connection is regional context reported by regional media.