Yemen's Houthis denied launching ‌any attack towards Saudi Arabia on Friday, after the Saudi-led coalition said ​it had intercepted and destroyed ​a drone launched by the ⁠group over the Mecca region.

<article data-history-node-id="450271" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/syria-weighs-joining-mecca-defence-pact-foreign-minister-says" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/syria-weighs-joining-mecca-defence-pact-foreign-minister-says" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Syria weighs joining Mecca defence pact, foreign minister says</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p><a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/syria">Syria</a> is considering whether to join the Mecca defence pact, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Saturday.</p> <p>“Discussions are currently underway to evaluate Syria’s entry into the Mecca alliance,” Shaibani told the Manama Dialogue conference in <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/bahrain">Bahrain</a>.</p> <p>Under the pact, signed by <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/turkey">Turkey</a> and <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/pakistan">Pakistan</a> in Mecca in August, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all three.</p> <p>Saudi Arabia has come under heavy fire from <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/yemen">Yemen</a>’s Houthis and has been rallying support against the group’s escalating attacks, including a major strike that shut Riyadh’s international airport for two weeks this month.</p> <p>On Friday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said it had intercepted Houthi drones over the Mecca and Medina regions. The group denied carrying out the attacks.</p> <p>Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/france">French</a> President Emmanuel Macron made a surprise visit to Riyadh and said France had sent troops to help protect a key Saudi oil terminal from Houthi attacks.</p> <p><a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/uk">Britain</a> also announced in October that it would deploy fighter jets to help the kingdom counter the attacks.</p> <figure role="group" class="media-block"> <div class="group-inner"> <div alt="Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani speaks during a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2026 in Manama, 31 October 2026 (Fadhel Madan / AFP)" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="33da4c33-cadd-4d8c-ad48-142296c54197" data-langcode="en" title="Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani speaks during a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2026 in Manama, 31 October 2026 (Fadhel Madan / AFP)" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/syria-foreign-minister-mecca.jpg" width="1920" height="1080" alt="Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani speaks during a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2026 in Manama, 31 October 2026 (Fadhel Madan / AFP)" title="Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani speaks during a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2026 in Manama, 31 October 2026 (Fadhel Madan / AFP)" typeof="foaf:Image" fetchpriority="high"> </div> <figcaption>Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani speaks during a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2026 in Manama, 31 October 2026 (Fadhel Madan / AFP)</figcaption> </div> </figure> <p><span style="background: url(&quot;https://www.middleeasteye.net/modules/contrib/ckeditor/vendor/plugins/widget/images/handle.png&quot;) rgba(220, 220, 220, 0.5); top: -15px; left: 0px;"><img height="15" role="presentation" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" loading="lazy"></span></p> </div> </div> </article>

United States tops Singapore, Switzerland and the Cayman Islands as the world's mecca for financial secrecy.