Flight operations at Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) are suspended once again after Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks on the Saudi capital on Monday evening.
The suspension adds to several weeks of severe disruption across Saudi airspace, with Riyadh and Jeddah bearing the brunt.
What Happened in Riyadh
According to AirPlus News, air traffic in Riyadh was disrupted following attacks claimed by the Houthis.
The group said it launched missiles and drones at several sites in Saudi Arabia, including the Riyadh airport. Flights at the hub are currently suspended.
Gulf Today reports that loud explosions were heard across Riyadh on Monday evening.
A Houthi spokesman said the group had struck King Khalid International Airport, an Aramco refinery and further targets in the south of the kingdom.
The Houthi Claims in Detail
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced three separate operations on X, as reported by Türkiye Today.
The first targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saree claimed the strike reached its target and halted air traffic at one of the busiest airports in the Gulf.
The second operation hit an Aramco refinery at Rabigh on the Red Sea coast, which the Houthis say caught fire.
A third struck Abha Airport, the Khamis Mushait military base and Akfa camp in the southern Asir region.
Saree added that further sites in Najran and Jazan, close to the Yemeni border, were also hit.
Saree said the operations used a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles alongside drones.
He presented them as retaliation for 60 Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks over the previous 24 hours.
Saudi authorities gave no immediate response to the claims.
A Warning to Airlines Flying Through Saudi Airspace
The Houthi spokesman also warned international airlines that Saudi airspace now sits within the group’s declared area of operations.
He made an exception for the skies over Mecca and Medina.
For carriers routing through Riyadh or overflying the kingdom, that warning raises the stakes considerably.
Weeks of Disruption for Riyadh and Jeddah
As AirPlus News notes, Saudi air traffic has been severely disrupted for several weeks, and Riyadh and Jeddah remain the most affected airports.
Türkiye Today published an image showing black smoke rising near King Khalid International Airport as far back as 19 September, underlining how long Riyadh has been in the firing line.
Gulf Today reports that Yemen has become the most active front in the wider Middle East war.
The United Nations says more than 184,000 people have been displaced.
The Houthis seized stretches of Red Sea coastline last month, including territory near the Bab Al Mandab Strait, in the deadliest fighting Yemen has seen in years.
The Wider Picture Around Riyadh
The attacks on Riyadh came a day after Yemen’s government announced its aim of retaking all territory held by the Houthis.
The coalition led by Saudi Arabia said its naval forces had destroyed Houthi weapons depots and booby trapped boats in Hodeida.
Representatives of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey held an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday under a joint defence pact signed in August.
They agreed to deploy forces to the kingdom.
A spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” by the escalation and condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The pressure on Saudi infrastructure extends beyond aviation.
A Saudi energy source told AFP that an attack on Sunday halted pumping on the East West pipeline, which has carried the kingdom’s exports to the Red Sea since Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz.
What This Means for Passengers
Anyone booked through Riyadh should check directly with their airline before travelling.
Suspensions have lifted and returned repeatedly in recent weeks, and the latest Houthi warning to airlines suggests the disruption at Riyadh is far from over.
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