Houthi strikes expose Saudi Arabia’s vulnerabilities

Despite Riyadh’s considerable air defenses and military spending, the militants have been able to outsmart the systems with relatively low-cost tools. The deadliest week for civilians in the Gulf marks a turning point in the US-Iran war that has engulfed the Middle East from Beirut to Aden, and from Irbil to Salalah. Saudi Arabia stepped up strikes on Yemen’s Houthis after the group hit Riyadh’s airport 20 times this month, killing 17 people and injuring 333. Despite Riyadh’s considerable air defenses and vast military spending, the militants have been able to outsmart the systems using relatively cheap drones and missiles.

Iranian attacks on the Gulf have brought the region closer together, and the latest strikes by Tehran’s allies in Yemen have galvanized support for Saudi Arabia. Authorities in the region are reinforcing this message of unity: In today’s Friday prayer sermons in Kuwait, imams were instructed to praise the kingdom’s support during Iraq’s 1990 invasion and condemn the Houthis. Similar expressions of support were also voiced in Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE. While security is by far the most pressing priority, new projections from the IMF have revealed the war’s deepening economic toll.

Jihad Azour, the fund’s regional director, told Asharq Bloomberg that the Gulf’s financial reserves, diversified export routes, and government interventions have cushioned the shock. But the IMF now predicts a deeper contraction than previously expected, with GDP trailing pre-war forecasts even after energy production and trade recover.