Saudi Arabia has partially reopened King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh despite renewed threats by Yemen’s Houthi rebels to continue targeting the facility.
Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday, October 25, that operations had resumed at two terminals of King Khalid International Airport following a deadly attack on October 10 that reportedly killed 13 people.
The airport had suspended operations after the attack, which the Houthis claimed responsibility for. The incident was described as the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
However, the partial reopening has raised security concerns as the Iran-aligned Houthi movement continues to threaten further attacks against the airport.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree warned that the facility would “never be safe” and urged airlines, airport workers and travellers to stay away.
Airport authorities announced late Saturday that Terminal 1 would handle domestic flights, while Terminal 2 would serve international flights operated by Saudi national carriers.
Despite the announcement, flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated limited air traffic at the airport on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missiles and Drones
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted another wave of missiles and drones launched amid escalating hostilities with the Houthis.
The Saudi-led coalition reported that two drones and a ballistic missile had been directed towards Riyadh, while a cruise missile was launched towards the southern city of Khamis Mushait.
The coalition later announced that it had intercepted 10 ballistic missiles fired towards southern Saudi Arabia.
Saudi civil defence authorities also reported that shrapnel from the interception of two ballistic missiles over Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah injured two people and damaged residential buildings and vehicles.
Emergency alerts were issued for Riyadh and several other cities, including Abha, Jazan and Najran, before authorities subsequently announced that the immediate danger had passed.
The Houthis said they had targeted the Riyadh airport and Saudi oil facilities on Saturday. They also claimed attacks against other locations, including Khamis Mushait and Jazan. However, it was not immediately clear whether these claims corresponded to the attacks Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted.
Escalating Conflict Raises Regional Concerns
The renewed confrontation has intensified pressure on Saudi Arabia as the wider conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States continues to destabilise the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia has stepped up military operations against the Houthis following the group's seizure of strategic territory along Yemen's Red Sea coast last month.
The developments have heightened concerns over the security of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical international maritime passage connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serving as an important route for global shipping.
The renewed fighting has also shattered a United Nations-brokered truce that had largely held since 2022.
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015, leading a coalition supporting the internationally recognised government after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
The continued attacks and counterstrikes have raised fresh concerns about regional security, civilian safety and disruptions to international aviation and maritime trade.
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