Missile strike on Riyadh's main airport kills 12; a second hit follows on Sunday and oil firms pull out of a congress
A suspected Houthi missile strike on King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 on Saturday, Saudi authorities said (AP, Reuters, Guardian, CBS News). On Sunday the coalition said a projectile hit Terminal 4 and caused a fire (Bloomberg). The Houthis claimed responsibility and warned airlines off Saudi airports (Reuters). BP and other oil companies skipped the World Petroleum Council congress in Riyadh (FT). Saudi stocks slid (Reuters). On Friday WTI closed at 91.85 dollars (+0.39%), the S&P 500 at 7,811.54 (+0.59%) and gold at 4,216.3 (+1.43%).
The Gulf supplies a large share of the world's oil, and attacks on airports raise fears of wider conflict and higher prices.
Higher oil usually means higher petrol and diesel prices in South Africa a few weeks later, and a weaker rand in risk-off markets.
The Saudi-led coalition says it will respond firmly.
Iran's foreign minister told his Saudi counterpart that Tehran is prepared to help dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen (FinancialJuice).
Casualty numbers differ between reports, and the second strike is not fully explained. Oil on Monday will show how worried traders are.
DailyDrop South Africa edition No. 8 · Morning · MON., OCT. 12, 2026