UN envoy to Yemen in Riyadh for talks with GCC, Saudi officials

Nayef Al-Hajraf was speaking during a meeting with UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg, during his visit to Riyadh, the GCC said in a statement.

His visit comes a day after the Iran-backed Houthi militia attacked the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, killing three people and wounding seven, sparking widespread condemnation.

The secretary-general affirmed the GCC’s support for the efforts of the UN envoy and the UN toward reaching a political solution to the Yemeni war, calling on the international community to exert more pressure on the Houthi militia to engage seriously in the peace process.

Al-Hajraf also strongly condemned the continued cross border attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects in Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones, as well as the attack that targeted Abu Dhabi, “which represents a flagrant violation of international law and a threat to regional security and stability.

He also called for the Houthis to be held accountable, in accordance with international and humanitarian law.

Grundberg also met with the Saudi ambassador to Yemen and supervisor of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, where they discussed the Kingdom’s support for the UN’s efforts, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The two sides discussed joint political efforts to solve the Yemeni crisis, especially as the Houthis’ continue to reject UN and international efforts to implement a cease-fire, their insistence on increasing the suffering of the Yemeni people, and the militia’s continued attacks on civilian and economic sites in the Kingdom and the UAE.