Civil Aviation Authority in Saudi Arabia: Suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh

The Civil Aviation Authority in Saudi Arabia announced, on Saturday evening, the suspension of operational operations at King Khalid International Airport in the capital, Riyadh, due to “flagrant attacks.” A statement by the Authority said: “King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was subjected to an attack this afternoon, Saturday, Rabi’ al-Akhir 29, 1448 AH, corresponding to October 10, 2026 AD, in light of the continuing blatant attacks targeting civil aviation facilities in the Kingdom.”

The statement explained, "The attack resulted in a number of injuries, which are being identified, and operational operations at the airport have been temporarily suspended, until the damage assessment is completed and the safety of the facilities is verified, in coordination with the competent authorities, and developments will be announced later." The Houthi group in Yemen, supported by Iran, has claimed repeated attacks on several sites in Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid Airport.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Riyadh recommended that all its citizens avoid heading to the airport and its surrounding areas, saying that it had been informed of “attacks targeting King Khalid International Airport.” The embassy said in a security alert that “US government employees working in Saudi Arabia must obtain special authorization to use King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh,” and it prohibited them from traveling within 20 miles of the Yemeni border “due to security risks.”