Operations at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport were suspended after a fresh attack on Saturday afternoon, leaving an unknown number of injured people and triggering widespread flight cancellations across the region as diplomatic alarms sounded internationally.
A third strike in a single week hit the Saudi capital’s main aviation hub on Saturday, sending ambulances scrambling toward the terminals and forcing authorities to halt all air traffic. The facility issued an urgent alert urging passengers to verify flight statuses before traveling before reaching the airport. Eyewitnesses reported panic and visible smoke near the terminal buildings, while flight-tracking data showed incoming services diverted or cancelled entirely.
Houthi Movement Launches Missile and Drone Strikes
The weekend explosions follow an aggressive series of cross-border missile and drone strikes directed at Saudi infrastructure by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement. The renewed aerial offensive erupted after Saudi-backed government forces launched a military push in neighboring Yemen to reverse rebel gains along the Red Sea coast. Houthi leadership had previously warned commercial carriers to steer clear of Saudi airspace, declaring the skies a zone of military operations after Saudi-backed Yemen government renewed its offensive this month. Earlier in the week, strikes at the same capital airport claimed the lives of three individuals, including a pilot.
According to regional officials and news reports citing diplomatic sources, the Saturday missile assault on a passenger terminal left at least 12 people dead and wounded dozens more, with several individuals admitted to intensive care. A source at King Fahad hospital confirmed that dozens of people had suffered wounds, while medical personnel at local facilities were summoned to manage a serious emergency situation as more than a dozen ambulances rushed to the scene. Residents across the Saudi capital reported hearing at least two loud blasts that shook the city, accompanied by plumes of black smoke rising near the aviation complex.
The wider conflict has intensified across multiple fronts, with the Saudi-led coalition providing crucial air support for government forces along the Red Sea. On the southern front, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohammad Al-Jaber, announced via social media that the Bab al-Mandeb strait had been cleared of Houthi fighters, though rebel representatives disputed the claim. Concurrently, the Saudi-led coalition reported that a projectile had fallen near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia.
Middle East Airlines Suspend Flights to Riyadh
Airlines across the Middle East immediately severed connections to the Saudi capital. Kuwait Airways suspended its routes due to what it described as the security situation there. Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways likewise grounded flights destined for Riyadh, with suspensions extending into the coming week. Foreign missions in the kingdom acted swiftly. Western embassies, including those of the United States, Britain, Ireland, and Canada, issued urgent security advisories instructing their nationals to stay away from the aviation facility.
Uncertainty and Security Restrictions in Riyadh
Official channels inside the kingdom maintained tight control over public information regarding the strike’s aftermath. Saudi authorities issued a strict legal warning to the public, cautioning that filming, publishing, or sharing digital content related to countering missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes individuals to legal liability. Flight-tracking platforms recorded nearly 225 to 300 cancelled flights in connection with the emergency shutdown. Despite the mounting emergency measures and the suspension of civilian flights, organizers behind major upcoming energy and investment conferences scheduled to take place in Riyadh insisted their events would go ahead as planned, offering independent security assurances to registered attendees.
