ABU DHABI — UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Saudi Arabia's Minister of Defence, Prince Khalid bin Salman, in Abu Dhabi on Sunday for talks on regional security, as Houthi missile and drone attacks on the kingdom continued to disrupt air travel across the Gulf.

The two sides discussed relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and ways to further strengthen cooperation, and exchanged views on regional developments with the aim of reinforcing security and stability and achieving lasting peace in the region, the state news agency WAM reported.

The visit came eight days after a Houthi missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that Saudi authorities said killed 12 people and wounded 309, the deadliest in a wave of attacks that has shut the kingdom's main airport and forced Gulf carriers to cancel hundreds of flights. The UAE has condemned the strikes, and its diplomatic adviser has called for a revival of joint Gulf defence.

Prince Khalid conveyed greetings from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Sheikh Mohamed asked him to pass his own greetings back to both, according to the WAM readout carried by Gulf News.

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon, adviser to the President, Gulf News reported.

Prince Khalid also held a separate meeting with Sheikh Mansour, according to TRT World. In a post on X, the Saudi minister said the two sides "affirmed the depth of the fraternal and historical relations between our two brotherly countries" and discussed "developments in the regional situation and ways to enhance cooperation and joint Gulf action."

Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, wrote on X that the meetings showed the depth and solidity of Emirati-Saudi relations, The National reported. He said "our partnership is one of the pillars of Gulf stability and prosperity" and described the two leaderships' positions during difficult times as a clear answer to anyone betting against them.

The Houthis, who control Yemen's capital Sanaa and most of its populous north, have carried out 20 strikes on King Khalid International Airport since October 1, according to The National. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the October 10 attack, saying strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure contravene international law. "These attacks must cease immediately," he said.

A further projectile hit a passenger terminal the following evening, killing one person and wounding 11, Al Jazeera reported. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh and two more aimed at Khamis Mushait on October 12, the third consecutive day the capital was targeted.

Gargash responded to the Riyadh strike on October 12 with a call for closer Gulf defence ties. "Targeting our sisterly kingdom of Saudi Arabia undermines the security of the UAE and all Gulf states," he wrote on X, according to The National. "There is a need to revitalise joint Gulf action, particularly in its security and defence dimensions." He said past shortcomings in that area had "encouraged others to overstep against us."

The fighting marks the collapse of a 2022 truce in Yemen that had largely held until this summer, according to UN News. In September the Houthis advanced along the Red Sea coast, capturing the port of Mokha and islands in the Bab al-Mandab strait. Yemeni government forces launched a counteroffensive in early October backed by Saudi-led airstrikes, and the Houthis answered with missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory.

UN special envoy Hans Grundberg told the Security Council on October 9 that Yemen had slid back into full-scale war, and the UN said more than 200,000 people had been displaced since August. The conflict is entangled with the wider confrontation between the United States and Iran, which has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and made the Red Sea route more important for Saudi oil exports.

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition against the Houthis since March 2015. The UAE withdrew its main combat forces from Yemen in 2020 and announced in December 2025 that it would end its remaining military presence there, according to TRT World.

The attacks have hit travel between the two countries hard. Emirates cancelled its Dubai flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam for October 17 and 18, and Etihad Airways cancelled all Abu Dhabi services to Riyadh and Dammam through October 18, citing "regional disruption," Gulf News reported. Air Arabia scrapped Sharjah flights to Dammam, Riyadh, Abha and Taif on Saturday.

Cirium data cited by Gulf News showed 552 of 1,178 scheduled departures from Saudi airports were cancelled or marked no-fly on October 15, with 298 of 366 departures from Riyadh disrupted. The United States has warned its citizens in Saudi Arabia of possible further airport attacks and airspace closures, and Australia advised travellers to avoid Riyadh's airport and consider road or rail links to UAE or Qatari hubs.

Etihad said its remaining cancelled Jeddah services would stay grounded until Monday, while Indian carrier IndiGo has suspended flights to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina until October 24.