WorldPosted at: Oct 12 2026 7:38PM


Saudi Arabia faces fresh missile threats as Riyadh airport closure extended

Riyadh, Oct 12 (UNI) Saudi Arabia said on Monday that the forces remain alert to track down potential drone and cruise missile threats targeting the kingdom, after its air defences intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi militia.
Authorities, however, extended the suspension of operations at Riyadh's main international airport following a deadly strike that killed a Pakistani national.
The latest developments have heightened concerns over the security of Saudi Arabia's civilian infrastructure, particularly its airports, as repeated missile and drone attacks put pressure on the kingdom's air defences and raise the risk of a wider escalation in the region.
The Arab Coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government said it had detected threats from drones and cruise missiles directed at Saudi Arabia and has been taking steps to counter them.
Separately, coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said Saudi air defences had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi militia towards Khamis Mushayt in the kingdom's southwestern region early on Monday.
Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Civil Defense also issued an alert warning of a potential attack on Abha, the capital of the southwestern Asir region, before later announcing that the threat had passed.
The incidents came amid a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, including strikes targeting key aviation facilities, raising concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure as the conflict in neighbouring Yemen continues.
Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said on Monday that the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had been extended to allow safety inspections of airport facilities to be completed.
The airport had been shut following a deadly incident on Saturday. On Sunday, the General Authority of Civil Aviation said an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4, triggering a fire that killed a Pakistani national and injured 11 others.
The injured were taken to hospital, while authorities began assessing the damage and inspecting the affected facilities.
The incident marked the fourth reported strike involving Riyadh's airport in five days. Coalition forces also said they had intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the airport, underscoring the persistent threat to one of the kingdom's principal aviation hubs.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack and said it had also targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, as well as two facilities belonging to state-controlled oil giant Saudi Aramco.
Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority confirmed that Dammam's airport had been targeted on Sunday evening, adding that damage assessments and safety inspections were under way.
Against the backdrop of the attacks, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Sunday on regional tensions and efforts to de-escalate the conflict, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Araqchi said Tehran is ready to help facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, signalling a possible diplomatic avenue even as security concerns persist.
The discussions come amid broader efforts to prevent further escalation in the region, where rivalries involving Iran and Gulf Arab states have repeatedly intersected with conflicts in Yemen and elsewhere.
Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic relations in 2023 under a China-brokered agreement, after years of hostility that had contributed to tensions across the Middle East. The relationship has since remained an important factor in regional efforts to reduce conflict, although security concerns and competing interests continue to complicate the broader regional picture.
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