A significant plume of smoke was observed near Riyadh’s main airport on Saturday after loud explosions were heard overnight. Saudi authorities had issued alerts warning of potential threats around the capital amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group.
Visual footage and photographs captured a towering column of black smoke rising above the airport area, with the highway, main terminal, and other airport facilities clearly visible in the foreground.
Saudi civil defense sent out phone alerts overnight concerning possible dangers in Riyadh and the nearby city of Al-Kharj, located east of the capital. These warnings were lifted on Saturday morning when an all-clear was declared. Residents in Riyadh’s Olaya district reported hearing the booms prior to the all-clear announcement.
While Riyadh has received similar alerts earlier this year related to the US-Iran conflict, these were the first since the recent surge in hostilities with the Houthis, which began in July.
The Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous regions and much of the northern territory, have intensified attacks targeting Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July. Their strikes have focused on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
This escalation poses new risks to global oil supplies by threatening the alternative Red Sea shipping route for Gulf exports, especially as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted.
On Friday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group had thwarted unspecified “criminal attempts” in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia and promising retaliation.
The Iran-aligned Houthis recently captured Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast in a rapid advance and report that the Saudi Air Force has conducted hundreds of airstrikes against their positions in recent days.
In a statement released on Friday, the UN Security Council strongly condemned ongoing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including those targeting civilian and energy infrastructure, which have caused injuries to civilians, including women and children.
The Security Council also denounced the military escalation by the Houthis in Yemen, emphasizing the need to halt further violence in the region.
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