Riyadh Airport Reopening Amid Houthi Strikes
The Riyadh airport reopening has gone ahead after a two-week closure, even as Houthi fighters launched fresh strikes across southern Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The reopening comes with a warning from the Houthis, who call the airport unsafe and a military target.
Saudi Arabia said its air defences stopped at least 10 ballistic missiles aimed at the south of the kingdom during the day. Alerts warning of possible attacks sounded across the southern region, while the airport in the capital said flights would resume on Sunday.
Riyadh airport reopening: what we know
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport said flights would restart on Sunday after a two-week shutdown. The closure followed Houthi strikes on the airport, including an attack this month that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. That attack was the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade.
However, it stayed unclear how far the airport was back in service. AFP reported that its journalists in Riyadh heard three explosions early on Sunday, while residents got alerts about a hostile aerial threat.
The Saudi-led coalition said it shot down a ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh, along with two drones in the capital area. Later on Sunday morning, it said its forces stopped a cruise missile aimed at Khamis Mushait in the south.
Warnings also covered Abha, Taif, Namas and Jazan. One resident of Khamis Mushait told AFP that the bombardment had been very heavy since the morning. The resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said everything was shaking because of the explosions.
Houthi warning to airlines
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned airlines and travellers against using King Khalid Airport. He said the airport was unsafe and served as a military target for his forces.
“The Saudi regime shall bear the consequences of any operations at the airport,” Saree said.
The Houthis said that within 24 hours they had targeted three Saudi airports, energy sites, a pipeline and an air base.
Saudi civil defence said it dealt with falling debris in Makkah and Madina on Saturday after stopping two missiles. The Houthis denied targeting the two holy cities.
Why this matters for Pakistan
The fighting in the Gulf hits close to home for Pakistan. Large numbers of Pakistanis live and work in Saudi Arabia, and flight links between the two countries matter for workers, families and pilgrims alike.
Feature Pakistan earlier reported on Lahore-Gulf flights cancelled during regional tensions, when services from Lahore to Gulf cities were disrupted. A reopened Riyadh airport will ease some of that pressure, but only if flights run on time and the warning does not scare airlines away.
The wider picture also affects Pakistan. The Houthis took control of the entire Red Sea coast in a lightning offensive last month, according to Dawn, and the flare-up has disrupted oil markets. Pakistan imports most of its oil, so a longer Gulf disruption can feed into fuel prices at home. Readers can follow the regional background in our earlier report on Iran’s Hormuz offer to Pakistan and the warnings over oil ships near Hormuz.
At the same time, the Houthis fired at Aden in southern Yemen on Sunday. They said they targeted a naval base and military camp overseen by Saudi forces. Aden serves as the interim seat of Yemen’s government.
What happens next
The key question now is whether airlines trust the reopening. If carriers resume normal schedules, the two-week disruption will start to clear. If strikes continue, the airport could face fresh closures.
The fighting follows the collapse of a years-long truce between the Houthis and Yemen’s government.
For now, travellers should check flight status before heading to the airport, since schedules can change at short notice. Our earlier coverage of Saudi missile plant expansion plans shows how the kingdom has built up its defences.
Has Riyadh airport fully reopened?
No. The airport said flights would resume on Sunday, but it stayed unclear how far services were back to normal after the two-week closure.
Why do the Houthis call the airport a target?
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said King Khalid Airport serves as a military target for his forces and warned airlines and travellers against using it.
How many missiles were stopped on Sunday?
The Saudi-led coalition said at least 10 ballistic missiles were stopped across the south, along with a missile aimed at Riyadh and a cruise missile aimed at Khamis Mushait.
