Photo: Kayhan ERTUGRUL / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was evacuated on Saturday after a loud blast was heard there, according to international news agency reports, in what appears to be the latest in a series of attacks on the Saudi capital’s main airport.
An eyewitness reported more than a dozen ambulances rushing to the airport. Saudi authorities had not commented on the incident, and the airport advised passengers to check with their airlines before travelling.
A week of attacks on Saudi airports
The explosion comes days after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed two attacks on the Riyadh airport. Saudi authorities said three Saudi nationals, including a pilot, were killed in those strikes, and an aircraft belonging to the national carrier, Saudia, was damaged. Three other people were killed in Houthi attacks on two Saudi airports on October 6 and 7.
The Houthis, who control most of north-western Yemen, say they are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for Yemen’s government in the country’s long civil war. They have announced what they call a “maritime embargo” against the kingdom and launched missile and drone attacks on airports, oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea.
How the conflict reignited
A Saudi-led coalition entered Yemen’s war in 2015 to stop the Houthis from taking over the country. Years of air strikes and ground fighting caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises before a temporary ceasefire was brokered in 2022.
That informal truce began to fall apart in July. Fighting between government forces and the Houthis has since escalated, including a Houthi offensive along the Red Sea coast that took the port of Mokha near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint for global shipping. Pro-government forces have since said they have secured the strait.
Flights cancelled, Indian travellers affected
Several airlines have changed their schedules. Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have cancelled multiple flights between their hubs and Riyadh, some until Monday.
Air India has extended the suspension of its flights to and from Riyadh until October 15, citing the evolving situation in the region. The airline said passengers who cancel their bookings will get a full refund and that it is monitoring developments closely. Saudi Arabia is home to a large Indian community, and the disruption affects many travellers and workers moving between the two countries.
What to watch
The attacks come shortly before Riyadh is due to host major energy and investment conferences. Whether Saudi authorities respond publicly, and whether airlines resume services, will depend on whether the strikes on the capital continue.
