Embattled Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Friday he was ready to cede power to prevent more bloodshed, but only to "safe hands".

Top generals, ambassadors and some tribes threw their support behind Yemen’s anti-government protesters on Monday.

A security clampdown in the Riyadh kept a lid on a planned day of rage, while police in Kuwait and Bahrain appeared to deflate demonstrators’ zeal.

Police in the Gulf island kingdom of Bahrain attacked demonstrators camped out in the capital on Thursday, killing three.

Thousands of Shi’ite demonstrators, inspired by popular revolts that toppled rulers in Tunisia and Egypt, gathered in Bahrain’s capital on Wednesday.

Disputes between Gulf Arab states and the maker of the Blackberry over access to encrypted communications highlight nervousness over security threats.