Houthi Attacks Kill at Least 13 in Riyadh as Saudi Airport Stays Closed Until Oct. 17

Airport Closure Extended After Deadly Attacks

Saudi Arabia has extended the closure of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport until Oct. 17 to allow safety checks after repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks. [5] The airport has remained shut since an attack on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade. [5] On Sunday another attack killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others. [5] Saudi authorities said the extended shutdown would permit completion of procedures to ensure the safety and operational readiness of the airport’s facilities. [5] The closure has caused widespread flight cancellations across Saudi airports, reaching 46.4 percent according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. [5]

Houthi Claims and Saudi Interceptions

Yemen’s Houthis said on Monday that they targeted Riyadh’s airport with a ballistic missile and also claimed to have targeted King Khalid Air Base near Khamis Mushait with a drone. [5] Saudi Arabia reported intercepting and destroying a ballistic missile fired by the group toward Riyadh. [5] A barrage of drone and missile attacks over the weekend on King Khalid Airport in Riyadh killed at least 16 people, including a U.S. citizen, and wounded roughly 300 in the deadliest attack on the kingdom in decades. [2] One western official in Riyadh confirmed multiple blasts and explosions across the capital, with video footage on social media appearing to show raging fires. [4] The strikes have intensified pressure on Washington to step up efforts to help its close ally battle Iran-backed Houthi militants in neighboring Yemen. [2]

Airlines Halt Saudi Services

Qatar Airways said it had temporarily suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia because of the current situation. [1] Lufthansa Group has cancelled all flights to Riyadh until Oct. 16, while Air France-KLM has extended a suspension to and from Riyadh until the end of the month. [5] Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways also extended cancellations. [5] Delta Air Lines said it was delaying planned services from Atlanta to Riyadh, initially due to start on Oct. 23, until March 2027. [5] The Federal Aviation Administration advised U.S. carriers on Sunday to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia, and EU aviation body EASA widened a Saudi airspace warning on Friday, citing missile and drone attacks. [5]

Pressure Mounts on U.S. Policy

The U.S. is already assisting Riyadh with intelligence, targeting and aerial refueling but has so far resisted direct involvement. [2] President Donald Trump said over the weekend that he would look into joining Saudi-backed strikes against the Houthis, describing the attack on Riyadh airport that killed at least 13 people and wounded hundreds more as “not acceptable.” [4] The Houthis warned that if the U.S. becomes involved in the aggression against Yemen, there will be a swift and painful response targeting the U.S. and all its interests in the region. [4] The violence is now prompting the White House to reconsider how deeply to enmesh U.S. forces. [2]

Economic and Business Fallout

The attacks come weeks before Saudi Arabia is scheduled to host the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh. [4] The CEOs of ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies all skipped the opening day of a separate energy conference in Riyadh. [4] Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the country is safe and that the kingdom holds the protection of attendees at whole heart, while noting that the gathering does not mean the risk is gone. [4] Brent, the international oil benchmark, was trading up about two percent on Monday at $106 per barrel. [4] Saudi Arabia’s real GDP is projected to contract by 3.6 per cent this year, reflecting a combination of factors including lower oil activity. [5] The disruption has raised worries over civil aviation becoming a target in armed conflict, with OPSGROUP founder Mark Zee stating that this level of sustained intense attack on civil aviation is unprecedented. [5]

Misinformation Circulates Online

As Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport has suffered a string of deadly attacks claimed by the Houthis, a slew of AI-generated or decontextualised videos and photos have been circulating on social media, purporting to show the strikes of the last few days. [3]

What to watch next: The Houthis have warned that U.S. involvement in strikes against Yemen would end their truce with Washington and trigger a swift response, while Saudi Arabia continues preparations for the Future Investment Initiative conference amid the extended airport closure until Oct. 17.