Saudi Arabia promises 'serious response' after deadly Houthi airport attacks

Saudi Arabia has vowed to deliver an uncompromising response after a series of missile and drone strikes launched by Yemen's Houthi movement hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing at least 18 people and shutting the terminal until Saturday.

Speaking at the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman, the Saudi energy minister, warned that the kingdom would not let the incursions go unanswered. "The events of recent weeks are serious. Our response must be equally serious," he told delegates at the convention centre, located just 10 kilometres from the targeted airport.

What happened at Riyadh airport

The strikes hit the capital repeatedly over several days, striking civilian passenger areas as travellers prepared to board flights. On Saturday, a missile slammed into Terminal 3, killing 13 people, including an Indian national, an American, two Bangladeshis, and four Saudi citizens. Over 300 people were injured.

The violence continued into Sunday, when a projectile struck Terminal 4, killing a Pakistani resident. Three Saudis, including a Saudia airline pilot, had already died in strikes on airport facilities and a grounded aircraft on Thursday.

Regional airlines moved quickly to curtail operations. Qatar Airways suspended services to Riyadh and Dammam, while Etihad Airways cancelled flights connecting Abu Dhabi with Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, citing regional disruption.

Public warning sirens fell silent

Questions have surfaced over domestic alert protocols. Saudi authorities introduced a national mobile early warning system in May, but public alerts ceased days before the lethal airport strikes. The civil defence authority last sent an alert on 29 September for the southern province of Najran.

According to two Western officials who questioned the decision, Saudi authorities said the alerts were halted because they were too disruptive and citizens complained about being disturbed at night. While Western diplomatic missions in Riyadh continued distributing internal warnings using allied intelligence, they received no warning prior to Saturday's strike on Terminal 3.

Saudi regulations introduced in March prohibit residents from circulating footage or details of missile interceptions. Civil defence channels have restricted their public updates to weather warnings.

Escalating regional confrontation

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea stated that the cross-border strikes were launched in retaliation for more than 120 Saudi coalition air strikes in western Yemen, as well as an ongoing blockade. Sarea warned international airlines to avoid Saudi airspace, exempting only flights serving Mecca and Medina.

The strikes come as Yemeni pro-government forces, backed by Saudi air operations, attempt to reclaim territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait along the Red Sea coast. With commercial routes strained and regional diplomacy under pressure, Riyadh has mobilised coalition air defences, reporting multiple ballistic missile interceptions over Khamis Mushait and Eastern Province.