Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

UAE summons Lebanese envoy to protest minister's statements

UAE summons Lebanese envoy to protest minister's statements

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait have also summoned their respective ambassadors

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait have summoned their respective Lebanese ambassadors over statements made by Lebanon's Minister of Information, George Kordahi.

The UAE on Wednesday strongly condemned the statements made by Kordahi before he took office against the coalition to support legitimacy led by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

According to WAM, The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has said that the comments were considered polemics that contradict diplomatic norms and the history of Lebanon's relations with the countries of the coalition. It also denounced them as reflecting Lebanon's growing distance from its Arab brothers.

Bahrain has also summoned the ambassador and has handed him a letter of protest condemning the Kordahi's comments. In the memo, the ministry said that the crimes and violations committed by the terrorist Houthi group against the Republic of Yemen and its brotherly people, and its continuous attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, since its illegal coup against the government, refute the statements.

GCC member Kuwait summoned Lebanon's charge d'affaires in protest.

The GCC's secretary-general earlier slammed Kordahi's comments, saying they reflected little understanding and a superficial reading of events.

The Yemeni foreign ministry called on Beirut to clarify its position on the comments, according to a statement issued by its embassy in Beirut that was reported by Lebanon's National News Agency.

Beirut has adopted a policy of staying out of regional conflicts even as Hezbollah has deployed fighters to Syria. The Saudi-led coalition says Hezbollah has sent fighters to Yemen.

In comments to an online show affiliated with Qatar's Al Jazeera network, George Kordahi, who was named minister in the government that took office in September, said Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis were defending themselves and called the war "futile".

The interview, which Kordahi said was recorded on August 5, has put new strains on Lebanon's already difficult ties with Gulf Arab states since it began circulating on social media on Tuesday.

Kordahi said on Wednesday his remarks were personal views made before he was a minister, and that he was committed to government policy. "I am against Arab-Arab wars ... accusing me of hostility to Saudi Arabia is rejected."

He said he would not resign.

"When asked during the show about drone attacks, which the Houthis have launched repeatedly into Saudi Arabia along with missiles, he answered: "Yes, but see also the damage that is being done to them as a nation ... they are being bombed by planes".

The Saudi-led coalition says it does not intentionally target civilians in Yemen.

Seeking to avert diplomatic fallout, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the interview was recorded more than a month before his cabinet was formed and reflected a personal opinion that had nothing to do with the government.

Mikati has been hoping to improve ties with Gulf Arab states, which have been strained for years because of the influence wielded in Beirut by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

Lebanon, he added, was eager for the best relations with Arab states.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×