Saudi Arabia partially reopened Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, October 25, as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels threatened fresh strikes and described the facility as a military target. The Riyadh airport reopening comes amid renewed fighting that has disrupted a United Nations-brokered truce that had largely held since 2022.
Riyadh Airport Resumes Limited Operations
The airport suspended operations on October 10 following an attack claimed by the Houthis that reportedly killed 13 people, making it Saudi Arabia’s deadliest attack in more than a decade.
Airport authorities announced that Terminal 1 would handle domestic flights, while Terminal 2 would serve international flights operated by Saudi national carriers. However, flight-tracking data showed limited air traffic at the airport on Sunday despite the partial reopening.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree warned that the airport would “never be safe” and urged airlines, airport employees and passengers to avoid the facility.
Saudi Arabia Reports Intercepting Missiles and Drones
Saudi authorities reported intercepting another wave of missiles and drones targeting locations across the kingdom. The Houthis claimed to have targeted Riyadh airport and other locations, including Khamis Mushait and Jazan, although it was not immediately clear whether their claims corresponded to the attacks reported by Saudi officials.
Saudi civil defence authorities said shrapnel from the interception of two ballistic missiles over Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah injured two people and damaged residential buildings and vehicles.
The Saudi-led coalition reported that two drones and a ballistic missile were launched towards Riyadh, while a cruise missile targeted Khamis Mushait. It later said 10 ballistic missiles aimed at southern Saudi Arabia had been intercepted.
Emergency alerts were issued for Riyadh, Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran before authorities announced that the danger had passed.
Renewed Fighting Raises Regional Concerns
The Saudi-led coalition previously accused the Houthis of carrying out 20 attacks on the airport between October 1 and 11. The rebels also claimed to have targeted Saudi oil facilities, though Saudi authorities did not directly confirm those claims.
The renewed conflict has intensified regional instability amid the wider confrontation involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Saudi Arabia has increased strikes against the Houthis following their reported advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping chokepoint.
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The latest escalation threatens to deepen the conflict and create further uncertainty for regional aviation and global shipping.
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