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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are expected to gather in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday for an extraordinary meeting.

The meet is likely to focus on the latest developments in Yemen. The GCC has rejected the Houthi control of Yemen and warned of steps to protect Gulf countries' interests.

On Friday, the Houthis set up a presidential council to take over power from the presidency, a move which further deepens the chaos after Yemen's president and premier submitted resignation last month.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Italy suspended operations and evacuated diplomatic staff at their embassies in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Friday.

“As result of deterioration in security and political conditions in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, the kingdom has suspended all embassy operations in Sanaa and evacuated its entire staff, who arrived safely in the kingdom,” State news agency SPA quoted a foreign ministry source as saying.

The kingdom is the first Arab country to evacuate embassy staff from Sanaa, after several Western governments, including the United States, shut their missions this week.
Meanwhile Germany and Italy are following suit and have pulled their staff from their embassies too.

"The situation is anything but stable,” said a German foreign ministry spokeswoman, calling the ouster of the government “unacceptable, dangerous and with consequences for the region.”

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council on Thursday that Yemen was on the brink of collapse, as he appealed for action to stop the country's slide toward anarchy.

* Al Arabiya