The Saudi government condemned the “objection of Qatari fighter planes to two Emirati civilian aircraft on their way to Manama” in view of the seriousness of this step and its threat to the security and safety of civil aviation.
“This action constitutes a threat to the safety of civil aviation and in violation of relevant international laws and conventions, bearing in mind that the statements of the General Authority of Civil Aviation of the UAE confirmed that the flights are regular, scheduled and well known and are subject to the necessary approvals and permits,” said an official source at the Saudi Foreign Ministry.
Saudi condemnation comes after a strong condemnation of the incident issued by Egypt and Bahrain.
The developments coincide with a significant escalation of tensions between the UAE and Qatar over the Doha Declaration that two United Arab Emirates warplanes violated Qatar’s airspace twice on 21 December and 3 January.
Qatar said in a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Secretary-General of the Security Council regarding the first incident: “In the event of such a violation, the State of Qatar will take all necessary measures to defend its borders, airspace and national security, in accordance with international laws and regulations.”
The escalation comes amid an unprecedented tension on the Gulf after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut off all diplomatic relations with Qatar on June 5, 2017. They were blocked by sea, land and air traffic.
They accused the Qatari authorities of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region, while Doha considered that “these actions are unjustified and based on baseless allegations and allegations.”