Saudi Arabia struggles to defend its vast territory in “asymmetric warfare” with the Houthis

[Cairo Current Affairs] Saudi Arabia, which supports the interim government in the Yemeni civil war, continues to be attacked by Yemen's enemy, the Houthi group, a pro-Iranian armed group. Saudi Arabia is one of the Middle East's leading military powers, but it is facing harsh realities as it struggles to defend its bases spread out over a land area approximately six times the size of Japan.

This month, the airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh and the headquarters of state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco in the eastern city of Dhahran were attacked one after another by the Houthis. Some point out that even if Saudi Arabia builds a multi-layered air defense system, some parts of it will still be able to be penetrated due to the size of Saudi Arabia's territory and the length of its approximately 1,300 km border with Yemen.

The US newspaper Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 12th, citing Saudi officials, that stocks of interceptor missiles are running low. The Houthis are believed to have used a tactic of firing a combination of relatively inexpensive drones and cruise missiles to attrition Saudi missile interceptors.

Furthermore, the Houthis are said to be avoiding attacks by distributing their mobile launch pads, making it difficult for the Saudi-led coalition to deliver a decisive blow with missile attacks or air strikes. The WSJ reported an expert's analysis warning that if Saudi Arabia strengthens its military response, there is a risk of it going deeper into "asymmetric warfare" with the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly asked the Trump administration, which is its ``backer,'' to intervene militarily, but the United States remains cautious ahead of the midterm elections in November. Turkey and Pakistan, which signed a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia in August, decided to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia on the 5th, and Egypt also decided to provide military support on the 18th, but it is unclear whether this will lead to a breakthrough in the situation.

Still, Saudi Arabia is seen as cautious about sending ground forces to Yemen, which could result in large numbers of casualties. WSJ, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that Saudi Arabia is leaning toward seeking a diplomatic solution to the conflict.