GCC-EU Summit postponed as Houthi attacks on Riyadh disrupt high-level diplomatic gathering

The second Gulf Cooperation Council and European Union Summit, scheduled for October 24, 2026, in Riyadh, has been postponed due to continued Houthi threats to Saudi Arabia and the extended suspension of flight operations at King Khalid International Airport, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi announced on October 15. The European Council and GCC General Secretariat said a new date will be announced in due course, with both organizations expressing determination to establish appropriate conditions for convening the summit in a manner that serves their long-term cooperation objectives.

The postponement underscores the security and logistical challenges facing Saudi Arabia amid the escalating conflict with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi forces, which launched a series of ballistic missile and drone attacks on three Saudi airports between October 6 and 12, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 370 others. The EU-GCC partnership is of great strategic importance to both regions, with the European Union serving as the second-biggest trade partner of the six GCC countries comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. EU-GCC trade increased by almost 30 percent over the last decade, with imports growing by almost 54 percent and exports by almost 20 percent, according to the European Council.

Sources

GCC General Secretariat, Statement Issued by the GCC General Secretariat Regarding the Rescheduling of the GCC-EU Summit, October 15, 2026, gcc-sg.org; European Council press release, Rescheduling of the EU-GCC Summit, October 15, 2026, consilium.europa.eu; Wikipedia, October 2026 Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian airports, accessed October 19, 2026, en.wikipedia.org; Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia says 12 killed, 300 wounded in Houthi attack on Riyadh airport, October 10, 2026, aljazeera.com; Al Jazeera, Three killed, 36 injured in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, Riyadh says, October 7, 2026, aljazeera.com; CNN, Saudi Arabia intercepts three missiles as capital's international airport remains closed after deadly Houthi attacks, October 10, 2026, cnn.com