Saudi Arabia's fragile security is highlighted, with the U.S. not responding to aid

[Cairo Current Affairs] The international airport in the capital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's ``air gateway'', was attacked on the 10th, resulting in numerous casualties. In Saudi Arabia, there have been repeated missile attacks on airports and other areas recently by Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi group. Despite requests for military assistance from the United States and other countries, the response has been slow, highlighting the weakness of Saudi Arabia's security system.

◇Environmental deterioration due to Iran attack

Since the US-Israel attacks on Iran began in February of this year, the Saudi security environment has deteriorated rapidly. The United States, which had been the ``mainstay'' of national defense until now, has no longer been able to afford to provide adequate support to Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, due to the commitment of military forces to the war against Iran.

Since July, when clashes with the Houthis flared up again, Saudi Arabia's de facto supreme leader, Crown Prince Mohammed, has reportedly urged US President Donald Trump to intervene militarily, but his request was not accepted.

Saudi Arabia hastened to ``de-US''. In August, Japan signed a joint defense agreement with Turkey and Pakistan, and is said to be seeking support from Egypt and other countries, but experts say it is ``unprepared''.

◇In light of the UAE withdrawal from Yemen

In 2015, Saudi Arabia began military intervention in Yemen's civil war to wipe out the Houthis. The battle, which was described as a ``proxy war'' with Iran, soon turned into a quagmire. An unofficial ceasefire was entered into in 2022, and a certain level of peace was maintained for a time.

The turning point came at the end of 2025, when the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had been fighting alongside Saudi Arabia against the Houthi movement, came into conflict with Yemen's interim government and, after some twists and turns, withdrew its troops from the country.

The UAE has a history of playing a liaison role with local forces, and an official of the interim government told CNN that ``the UAE's efficient chain of command has not been transferred to Saudi Arabia.'' The lack of coordination on the ground appears to have given the Houthis an opening to expand their military activities.