Houthi Strikes Keep Riyadh Airport Shut as Toll Reaches 20

Saudi authorities extended the suspension of all flights at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh until midnight on 17 October after further Houthi attacks on the facility and other sites. The decision followed a series of ballistic missile and drone strikes that began on 6 October and have killed at least 20 people while injuring more than 370 others across three Saudi airports.

On Saturday 10 October a missile struck the complex housing terminals 3 and 4 at King Khalid. Saudi civil aviation officials said the blast killed 13 people and wounded 309. The dead included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, and one each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. An Indian man later died of his injuries. Closed-circuit footage showed passengers waiting at departure gates when part of the ceiling collapsed after the impact.

A further strike on Sunday 11 October killed one Pakistani resident and wounded 11 others at the same airport. Authorities also reported damage at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Sunday evening. On Monday the Saudi-led coalition said its forces intercepted one ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh and two directed at Khamis Mushait in the southwest. The Houthis claimed they had targeted the Riyadh airport and a military base.

The attacks form part of an escalation that followed the collapse of a ceasefire in Yemen. Houthi forces seized territory along the Red Sea coast last month, prompting Saudi warplanes to support the internationally recognised Yemeni government in operations to retake ground, including around Taiz. The Houthis have since fired missiles and drones at Saudi oil facilities, airports and military sites. They have warned airlines to avoid Saudi airspace and declared oil and airport workers legitimate targets.

Flightradar24 data showed aircraft avoiding Riyadh on Monday while some traffic continued through Saudi airspace toward Jeddah. Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, reported that cancellations across Saudi airports reached 46.4 per cent. Etihad Airways and Gulf Air suspended services to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation has not given a firm reopening date beyond the current extension to 17 October.

The death toll of at least 20 makes the sequence the deadliest series of attacks on Saudi soil since the 2015 Qatif and Dammam mosque bombings and the worst on a Persian Gulf state since the start of the 2026 Iran war. Four people died in earlier strikes on Riyadh and Abha airports between 6 and 8 October. Saudi military spokesman Turki al-Maliki has described the response as serious. The Houthis, who control Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, have framed the strikes as retaliation for Saudi air operations.

The United States has not announced any direct military role. President Donald Trump said earlier that he was evaluating whether Washington should join Saudi strikes against the Houthis. Iran, which backs the group, has not confirmed involvement in the recent launches. The attacks have disrupted pilgrimage traffic and commercial flights at a time when Riyadh is preparing for major energy industry gatherings.

Schoolchildren and some office workers in Riyadh were advised to stay home on Monday after the latest alerts. Residents reported explosions after text warnings of aerial threats. The coalition has not released full details on how many missiles and drones have been intercepted since the campaign intensified. The Yemeni government has continued ground operations against Houthi positions near Taiz, with Saudi air support aimed at blocking reinforcements.

King Khalid International Airport normally handles the bulk of Riyadh’s domestic and international traffic and serves a metropolitan area of roughly eight million people. Its prolonged closure forces diversions to other Saudi airports and raises costs for airlines and passengers. No timeline has been given for repairs to terminal structures damaged on Saturday. Saudi officials have not said whether additional air-defence systems are being redeployed to the capital.