Riyadh's airport will stay shut this week as airlines cancel services (Straits Times), and Mint reported it closed until 17 October. Reuters reported airlines cancelling Saudi flights and The Hill that Delta postponed its Atlanta–Riyadh service. The airport was hit on Saturday, when Saudi authorities said 12 died and 309 were wounded (Washington Post), and again on Sunday; CBS News and The Times of India put the dead at 13. On Monday evening FinancialJuice reported a warning in Riyadh and three booms, the Saudi Gazette reported that coalition forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh, and GMA reported a Houthi claim of an attack on the airport. AP, via PBS NewsHour, reported that Saudi officials were investigating how the defences failed. A Houthi official warned of a swift, painful response if the United States enters the war (Straits Times, Vanguard, Le Figaro), and Iran offered to mediate (Straits Times). Saudi civil aviation confirmed only that Dammam airport was targeted; damage at Aramco sites is a Houthi claim.
Repeated strikes on a capital's main airport, now a third alarm, push a regional war towards global air travel and oil supply, and the question of whether the United States joins in could widen it.
Flights routed through Saudi airports may be cancelled, so check with your airline before going to the airport. Kenyans planning Umrah should ask their tour operator, and Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia should follow their embassy's advice. Higher crude prices would feed into the maximum pump prices EPRA announces on Wednesday 14 October.
Saudi Arabia says the attacks target civilians and civil aviation and has promised an equally serious response (National Post).
The Houthis say they are answering Saudi-led military action in Yemen and warn airlines that no Saudi airport except Mecca and Medina is safe (FinancialJuice, citing Fars).
Treat the Aramco damage as a claim until Saudi authorities or the company confirm it. Watch how many airlines resume Saudi routes after 17 October and whether Iran's mediation offer gets a reply.
Straits Times, Mint, Reuters, The Hill, CBS News, Times of India, PBS NewsHour (AP), Saudi Gazette, GMA, FinancialJuice, CNA (11–13 Oct 2026)
Riyadh airport to stay shut this week as Houthis fire again on Monday evening and airlines cancel Saudi flightsRiyadh airport to stay shut this week as Houthis fire again on Monday evening and airlines cancel Saudi flights
Saudi authorities said Saturday's strike killed 12 and wounded 309; CBS News and The Times of India put the dead at 13. On Monday evening the Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed another ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh, and Malaysia urged its citizens to postpone Umrah trips.
Riyadh's airport will stay shut this week as airlines cancel services, the Straits Times reported on Monday 12 October, and the Indian outlet Mint reported that Saudi Arabia closed it until 17 October. Reuters reported airlines cancelling flights to Saudi Arabia, and The Hill that Delta postponed its Atlanta–Riyadh service. The airport, King Khalid International Airport, was struck on Saturday 10 October, when Saudi authorities said 12 people died and 309 were wounded (Washington Post), and again on Sunday. CBS News and The Times of India put the dead at 13, and CBS counted four Houthi attacks on the airport in a week.
A new alarm came on Monday evening. FinancialJuice reported a warning in Riyadh and a witness hearing three booms, the Saudi Gazette reported that coalition forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh, and GMA reported that the Houthis claimed an attack on the airport. Saudi authorities said the threat had passed (FinancialJuice). Earlier, AP, via PBS NewsHour, reported that Saudi officials were investigating how the air defences failed, and Reuters that Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned the strikes. A Houthi official warned of a "swift, painful response" if the United States enters the Yemen war (Straits Times, Vanguard, Le Figaro), and the Straits Times reported that Iran offered to mediate between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The Houthi claims of hits on Dammam airport and Aramco sites remain claims: Saudi civil aviation confirmed only that Dammam airport was targeted.
Business and travel reacted. Reuters reported that top oil executives were dropped from an energy event in Riyadh, CNA and the Straits Times that Malaysia urged citizens to postpone Umrah, and the Japan Times that Japan's trade minister urged oil stockpiling. NBC News reported that energy prices rose on Monday, a move it linked mainly to the failed Russia–Ukraine ceasefire (see right). For Kenya the effects run through flights that connect via Gulf hubs, fuel prices and the many Kenyans who work in or travel to Saudi Arabia. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority normally announces new maximum pump prices on the 14th of each month, so Wednesday's review is the first test of how far crude has moved. If you plan an Umrah trip or a flight through any Saudi airport, check with your airline or tour operator before travelling.