President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has strongly condemned what Saudi Arabia described as an attempted Houthi drone attack targeting the Holy City of Makkah, reaffirming the Maldives’ solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 16, President Muizzu said that any act threatening the safety and sanctity of Makkah, Islam’s holiest city, was “completely unacceptable and deeply offensive to the entire Muslim Ummah.”
“The Maldives stands in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and commends the swift response of the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces in safeguarding the Holy City, its pilgrims and residents,” President Muizzu said.
He also called for an immediate cessation of such attacks, urging all parties concerned to avoid further escalation and pursue peace and dialogue.
The statement followed an incident on Tuesday evening in which Saudi Arabia said its air-defence forces intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Makkah before it entered the prohibited airspace of the Holy City.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki said the drone was intercepted at approximately 6:50 p.m. Saudi time on September 15. He described the incident as the second attempt by the Houthis to target Makkah, following a ballistic missile launch toward the city in July 2017. Saudi authorities said the security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims was a “red line.”
The Houthis, however, have denied responsibility for targeting Makkah. Houthi officials rejected the Saudi accusation and said the group had not targeted the Holy City or other religious sites.
The incident comes amid a wider escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with Saudi Arabia reporting a series of drone and missile attacks against its territory in recent days.
President Muizzu’s condemnation places the Maldives among the countries and international organisations that have publicly expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia following the reported incident.
The President’s Office said Muizzu’s statement reaffirmed the Maldives’ position that the safety and sanctity of Makkah must be protected and that further escalation should be avoided through a return to peace and dialogue.
