In this May 29, 2004 file photo, covered bodies lie on the ground as Saudi police inspect the scene in front of the Petroleum Center, one of the sites of triple attacks targeting oil facilities by suspected militants, in the eastern oil city of al-Khobar.

Saudi Arabia has had the most terror attacks on its soil over the 10 years from 2001 to 2010 compared to other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, a researcher has found.

There were 262 terror attacks on GCC countries during this period, of which 211 were thwarted and 51 carried out, Mateer Saeed Al-Shammari, a researcher in strategic and security affairs, told local media recently.

Saudi Arabia recorded 222 operations, of which 194 were effectively countered, said Al-Shammari. Kuwait recorded 20 and thwarted five, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had 11 and foiled six.

Al-Shammari said that despite the security tensions in Bahrain, six terrorist operations were launched between 2001 and 2010, but only two were executed.
Qatar recorded three operations and foiled two. Oman was the only GCC country that did not record any terror operations during the period.

Al-Shammari’s study is entitled “A Strategic Vision to Transform the Gulf Cooperation Council into a Union.”

“Saudi Arabia topped the list with 88 percent of the terror operations. Kuwait recorded 7 percent, the UAE 4 percent, Bahrain 2 percent and Qatar 1 percent,” said Al-Shammari.

During the period, Saudi Arabia recorded the first terror activity in 2003 when a would-be bomber was killed while making a bomb at a house in Riyadh. There were several incidents involving Al-Qaeda following that event, which were successfully countered by the Kingdom’s security forces.

Although Saudi Arabia topped the list of terror attacks, it succeeded in thwarting 84 percent of them,” he said. “Kuwait failed miserably in combating such operations with 75 percent actually executed on its territory.”

He said terrorists appeared to target the Kingdom because it is one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in the region. “If it falls into the hands of terrorists, the other GCC countries would soon follow, maybe even the whole area.”

He said internal security was a top priority for the GCC, and the six members of the body have developed effective ways to cooperate since its establishment.

He said an effective security strategy for the GCC would be to continue sharing information, ensure coordination on training and exchange convicted terrorists.

“Terrorism remains the biggest challenge facing GCC countries,” he said.