The proposals were made at a meeting of GCC interior ministers that wound up in Riyadh on Wednesday, following revelations earlier in the week that Kuwait had dismantled an Iranian spy network.

“The security organs in the Gulf countries are currently discussing Kuwait’s breaking up of a spy network operating for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard,” Prince Naif told the Saudi Press Agency after the meeting.

Kuwaiti media first reported last Saturday that seven people had been arrested in a raid.

Al-Qabas newspaper said the cell included Kuwaitis and other people described as stateless residents in Kuwait.

The paper said the police confiscated documents, advanced communication equipment and a large stash of US dollars in the raid. There was no information on when the arrests occurred. Prince Naif did not disclose any more details himself. “The channels of cooperation between GCC countries are open. It is not necessary that the issue should be discussed by the consultative meeting because they are being handled by special security organizations,” the prince said.

He denied reports that the defense measures of Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, had been compromised. “We dismiss the reports as totally baseless,” he said.

Prince Naif also stressed the need for cooperation between Saudi and Yemeni security services to prevent infiltration by terrorists.

“Yemen is cooperating. Because of the tough terrain a large number of them may be able to infiltrate our country. The security agencies are active in preventing the infiltration of suspected people,” he added.

He claimed that Iraq’s reluctance in returning wanted Saudis to the Kingdom were due to Iraq’s “exceptional conditions”.

“Cooperation with Kuwait is excellent despite the fact that the country has not signed a security agreement with the Kingdom directly or within a group of Gulf states. We hope this agreement will be signed in the future,” said Deputy Interior Minister Prince Ahmed.

He added that the trial dates for a number of terror suspects arrested in the Kingdom earlier would be announced as soon as they are finalized.

He also made it clear that the Kingdom would reject any pressure that might affect the implementation of Islamic Shariah rules.