The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries have strongly condemned a reported drone strike on an electricity distribution facility in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Madinah. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain issued separate statements on Thursday (1 October), expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia following the incident.
The Saudi-led coalition has accused Yemen’s Houthi group of carrying out the attack. The Houthis, however, have denied responsibility.
Saudi authorities said the strike targeted the Taiba electricity distribution centre in Madinah. The facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites. According to the Saudi authorities, the attack disabled one transformer but did not bring down the wider electricity supply system.
The Saudi-led coalition said an investigation into the incident, combined with an examination of debris from the drone, provided evidence that the Houthis were involved in planning and carrying out the strike.
Major General Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the attack took place early on Tuesday. He said the damage affected one transformer, while the wider electricity distribution network continued operating.
The Houthis have rejected the accusation. A military official from the group, quoted by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, described the Saudi claim as false. According to the official, Saudi Arabia had failed to provide evidence supporting an earlier allegation of Houthi attacks near Makkah and was now raising the Madinah incident to divert attention from that issue.
The Saudi-led coalition has linked the Madinah strike to what it describes as a series of attempts to target the two holy mosques — the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The coalition also claimed that such attacks were intended to provoke Muslims around the world. It said measures would continue to be taken to protect holy sites and worshippers.
The OIC issued a strong condemnation of the attack, saying that strikes against important infrastructure and facilities in Madinah represented a dangerous escalation and an infringement on the sanctity of Islamic holy sites. The organisation also described such actions as violations of international and humanitarian law and established international principles.
The OIC expressed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia over measures taken to protect its territory, security and stability. It also backed efforts to safeguard Islamic holy sites and protect Saudi citizens and residents.
The UAE Foreign Ministry described the drone strike as a clear violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and a threat to the kingdom’s security and stability. Abu Dhabi reaffirmed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for measures aimed at maintaining the country’s security and stability.
Jordan also condemned the incident, describing the attack as a clear violation of Saudi sovereignty and a threat to the kingdom’s security, stability and territorial integrity. Amman said the attack violated international law and the UN Charter. Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Fuad Majali reiterated his country’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for measures protecting its institutions, citizens and residents.
Kuwait said the attack on infrastructure supplying electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque was part of a series of hostile attacks against civilian infrastructure. Its Foreign Ministry said such attacks violated Saudi sovereignty, international law and international humanitarian law. It also said attacks of this nature could offend Muslims around the world and threaten the status and security of Islamic holy sites.
Kuwait reaffirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, stressing that the kingdom’s security was closely connected with the security of Kuwait and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Bahrain, meanwhile, condemned what it described as continued attacks by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia. Manama said it supported measures taken by Riyadh to protect its sovereignty and security under the right of self-defence.
Bahrain also called on the UN Security Council to take a firm position against continued Houthi attacks. It urged the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2216, adopted in 2015, and Resolution 2817 of 2026.
The Madinah incident came after another reported episode involving a Houthi drone near Makkah. On 15 September, the Saudi-led coalition said its air defence systems had detected and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah. The coalition said the drone had been intercepted before entering the designated restricted airspace around the holy city.
The latest incident has produced sharply conflicting accounts. Saudi authorities and the Saudi-led coalition have attributed the strike to the Houthis, citing their investigation and examination of the drone debris. The Houthi group has rejected the allegation.
The response from the OIC and the four Arab countries has placed particular emphasis on the protection of holy sites and civilian infrastructure. The incident also comes amid continuing tensions involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with competing claims over responsibility for attacks remaining a recurring feature of the conflict.
