The Times of Israel reported Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the Chief Islamic leader of Saudi Arabia, made the comment after a law was passed in Kuwait banning the building of new churches there. Existing churches in Kuwait were allowed to remain standing under this law.
According to CBN News and Al Jazeera, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah had been previously quoted as saying all churches in the region should be destroyed in 2012, he said it is: "necessary to destroy all the churches in the region".
Saudi Arabia contains the two holiest sites for Muslims in the world: Mecca, where Muslims say the Prophet Muhammad was born and received the Quran, and Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad died and was buried.
It's illegal for Christians to publicly worship or privately gather in groups to pray in the country.
5% of the country's population is Christian, totalling around 1.4 million people.