Saudi Arabia’s King Salman said on Tuesday that the kingdom was capable of defending itself against "cowardly" attacks, and he called on the international community to confront those behind Saturday's strikes on two Aramco sites.
And the kingdom's Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said in Jeddah that the country's oil output would be "back to normal" by the end of the month.
Prince Abdulaziz said that almost half of the production cut by the attack on an oil processing plant had already been restored.
He said that production capacity would be up to 11 million barrels per day before the end of September. It had been about 9.6 million bpd before the attack.
The Saudi Cabinet reviewed the damage caused by two Houthi-claimed drone strikes on Saudi Aramco's Abqaiq oil-processing plant and the Khurais oilfield, which caused the country's oil production to temporarily fall by almost 50 per cent.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the operation but Washington blamed Iran, with President Donald Trump saying the US is "locked and loaded" to respond.
King Salman called on world governments to confront the perpetrators of the attack and "shoulder the responsibility by condemning the perpetrators", the state-run news agency reported.
“The kingdom is capable of defending itself against cowardly attacks and of responding to such acts, regardless of their origin," he said.
Also on Tuesday, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid called on his country's armed forces to be on high alert and prepared to confront any incident after the Aramco attacks, state news agency Kuna reported.
Iran earlier claimed that Yemen's Houthi rebels had carried out the attack as an act of self-defence.
But the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, said the "justification for the unprecedented terrorist attack on Aramco's facilities in view of the developments in the Yemen war is completely unacceptable".
Dr Gargash also urged the international community to stand behind the kingdom.
"The attack on Saudi Arabia is a dangerous escalation in itself, and the right position of every Arab country and every responsible state in the international community must be with Saudi Arabia and with the stability and security of the region," he posted on Twitter.
Hours earlier, the Arab Coalition said the weapons used to strike Saudi Aramco sites were made by the Iranians. Iran has denied involvement.
"Such fruitless and blind accusations and remarks are incomprehensible and meaningless," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.
Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy for Yemen, warned on Monday that attacks on Saudi Arabian oil plants at the weekend made a larger regional conflict more likely.
“At a minimum, this kind of action carries the risk of dragging Yemen into a regional conflagration,” Mr Griffiths told the UN Security Council.
“Of one thing we can be certain, that this very serious incident makes the chances of a regional conflict that much higher, with Yemen in some way linked. None of that is good for Yemen.”
A spokesman for the Houthi rebels said after the attack that Saudi Arabia should expect more attacks.
An Arab Coalition led by Saudi Arabia backs the Yemeni government against the Houthis in a civil war that began in 2015.
The rebels have been using drones in combat since the start of the war.
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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