Condemnation and support for Saudi Arabia
In a statement from Tunis reported by SPA, the secretariat denounced Houthi missile and drone attacks on civilians, civilian property and holy sites in Saudi Arabia. It also condemned the recent ballistic missile launches toward the Makkah and Madinah regions, saying Saudi air defenses had intercepted and destroyed the missiles.
The secretariat said the attacks violated international law, desecrated holy sites and offended Muslims around the world. It accused the militia of continuing to undermine regional security and stability and expressed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia. Its statement backed Saudi measures to defend the kingdom's territory and holy sites, preserve security and stability, and protect citizens and residents.
Other religious and regional bodies also condemned the launches. Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque, said repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks toward Makkah and Madinah violated Shariah law and international humanitarian norms. He described the security and sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques as a "red line that must not be breached."
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al-Badawi condemned the October 24 launches, calling the falling debris across Makkah, Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh "heinous" and "a blatant disregard for civilians." The Muslim World League also denounced the incidents.
Interceptions and the Houthi denial
Saudi Civil Defense said two Houthi ballistic missiles heading toward the Makkah and Madinah regions were intercepted on October 24, 2026. Debris landed in four places: Wadi Al-Mughammas in Makkah Province, Jeddah's Al-Nuzha neighborhood, Wadi Jalil in Taif and the Masturah Center in Rabigh. Authorities said no one was hurt, no property was damaged and teams followed approved procedures for handling the incidents.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied that day that the group had targeted the holy cities, calling the Saudi account "a great and grievous falsehood." He said Houthi operations were directed at Saudi oil facilities, bases and vital military sites.
The group claimed seven operations against Saudi targets on October 24: Riyadh airport, Aramco facilities in Yanbu, the Rabigh oil refinery, the East-West pipeline, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Najran Airport and Khamis Mushait air base. It described the operations as retaliation for Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Sanaa.
The Houthis had previously announced exemptions for the holy cities. On October 11, Saree identified all Saudi airports as potential targets but excluded those serving Makkah and Madinah. The Houthi-run Saba news agency subsequently declared Saudi airspace "unsafe, except over Mecca and Medina" on October 19, five days before the interceptions.
Limited service resumes at Riyadh airport
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh resumed some operations on Sunday, October 25, two weeks after an October 10 Houthi strike killed 13 people and injured more than 300. The partial reopening restored domestic travel through Terminal 1 and international flights operated by national carriers through Terminal 2.
Egypt authorizes defensive military support
Egypt's House of Representatives approved President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's request for authority to provide military support to Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks on Monday, October 26. According to the state newspaper Al-Ahram, lawmakers authorized Sisi to take the necessary measures to support the kingdom.
Sisi had sought an emergency parliamentary session for authorization to defend Gulf countries "if Cairo is asked to do so." He said Egypt was "prepared to take any measures requested by Saudi Arabia to protect its security."
Lawmakers, most of whom support Sisi, held three rare secret meetings on the request and twice delayed the vote before approving it. Sisi said the support would be confined to "defending the land and borders of the kingdom" and "does not include an attack on Yemen." He placed a diplomatic solution first.
Egypt, the most populous Arab state and home to one of the region's largest militaries, previously joined the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in March 2015. Its role was primarily naval, with warships sent to protect Red Sea shipping lanes. It also deployed about 800 ground troops in a limited combat role. Egypt has not carried out a large-scale ground deployment abroad since the 1991 Gulf War.
Defense pact remains under consideration in Cairo
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defense Pact on August 7, 2026, agreeing to treat an attack on any member's territory as an attack on all three. Turkey sent the pact to parliament for ratification on October 20; that process had not been completed as of that date.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said this month that Egypt's membership in the pact remained "under serious consideration." Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad also traveled to Riyadh to deliver a letter from Sisi to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
