Saudi Arabia's airports and infrastructure continue to be targeted by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, with the group claiming fresh attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and pumping stations along the country's East-West oil pipeline.
It comes as Saudi continues to experience widespread disruption to air travel following a series of deadly missile and drone attacks. More than 7,800 flights were cancelled or recorded as no-fly between 8 and 25 October, according to aviation analytics company Cirium – around approximately 45 per cent of scheduled departures across the Kingdom.
King Khalid International Airport has begun restoring services following a closure lasting more than a week, although its reopening has not meant a return to normal schedules. Almost 86 per cent of scheduled departures from the airport were affected between Thursday, 8 and Sunday, 25 October, while dozens of international routes remain suspended.
Several airlines have extended cancellations, with Etihad Airways, Flydubai, Air India, IndiGo and Oman Air among those postponing services into late October or November. KLM has suspended Riyadh flights until the end of October, while Lufthansa is not scheduled to resume services to the capital until Wednesday, 18 November. British Airways is currently due to return with a limited service on Tuesday, 3 November, while Cathay Pacific has suspended its Riyadh route until the end of January 2027.
The disruption follows a series of attacks on Saudi airports, including a strike on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday, 21 October, which killed two people and injured eight. The Saudi-led coalition previously said that the Houthis launched 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport between 1 and 11 October, killing 17 people and injuring 333. Other attacks have targeted airports in Abha, Jazan and Najran, as well as Saudi Aramco oil facilities.
The deteriorating security situation has prompted governments to strengthen their travel warnings. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Saudi, while the US Department of State has ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave the Kingdom.
Several major events have also been cancelled or postponed, including Riyadh Fashion Week, the PIF Saudi International golf tournament and Soundstorm. The Future Investment Initiative – Saudi’s major investment conference, often dubbed “Davos in the Desert” – had been due to take place in Riyadh from 26 to 29 October, but its tenth edition has now been postponed until 2027.
The attacks have marked a serious escalation in a renewed campaign of missile and drone strikes against Saudi that began in July, affecting locations in Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, Jazan, Najran, Taif and Yanbu.
This article was updated with the latest information on Monday, 26 October 2026.
- Are flights to Saudi Arabia operating normally?
- What attacks have targeted Saudi's airports?
- Are Saudi Arabia’s hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions open?
- What is the Saudi government’s latest advice?
- What are worldwide governments advising?
- Should you reconsider your travel plans?
Are flights to Saudi Arabia operating normally?
No. Although Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport has begun restoring services following a closure lasting more than a week, flights remain severely disrupted across Saudi.
According to aviation analytics company Cirium, 7,802 of the 17,299 departures scheduled from Saudi airports between 8 and 25 October were cancelled or recorded as not flying, representing approximately 45 per cent of the total.
Riyadh has been particularly badly affected, with 4,071 departures disrupted during the period, equivalent to almost 86 per cent of those scheduled. Jeddah recorded 1,402 affected departures, followed by Dammam with 823, Abha with 297 and Medina with 286. On Sunday, 25 October alone, 448 of the 1,013 departures scheduled across the Kingdom were cancelled or recorded as no-fly.
Arriving and departing flights at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport have been subject to prior permission from Saudi’s General Authority of Civil Aviation, according to an aviation notice issued ahead of the airport’s reopening. Travellers should check the latest restrictions with their airline before travelling.
Several international airlines have extended their suspensions. Etihad Airways has reportedly cancelled Riyadh and Dammam services until Thursday, 5 November, while Flydubai has extended cancellations affecting several Saudi routes until Thursday, 29 October. Air Arabia has suspended a number of services without announcing a resumption date.
Air India has extended its Riyadh and Dammam suspensions until Saturday, 7 November, while IndiGo has cancelled affected services until Saturday, 31 October. Oman Air has also extended its Riyadh suspension until the end of October.
KLM is not scheduled to resume Riyadh flights until Saturday, 31 October, while Lufthansa’s suspension extends to Wednesday, 18 November. Lufthansa’s Dammam services remain suspended until Monday, 30 November. British Airways is currently scheduled to return to Riyadh with a limited daily service on Tuesday, 3 November, while Cathay Pacific has extended its suspension until Sunday, 31 January 2027.
Other carriers have announced longer suspensions. Akasa Air has reportedly suspended Jeddah services until Tuesday, 10 November, and Riyadh services until Monday, 30 November, while Scoot has cancelled Singapore–Jeddah flights until Wednesday, 2 December.
Emirates has also been cancelling individual services, with disruption affecting flights between Dubai and Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah.
Flights continue to operate from Saudi airports, including Jeddah and Medina, but passengers should not assume that services are running normally. The US State Department says commercial flights remain available, although operations have been significantly disrupted.
The UK Foreign Office warns that further attacks on airports, disruption and cancellations are “very likely”. It advises British nationals to stay away from King Khalid International Airport and says those wishing to leave Saudi should consider travelling overland to a neighbouring country and flying from there.
What attacks have targeted Saudi's airports?
Saudi’s airports have been targeted in a series of missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the group launched 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh from Thursday, 1 October, using drones, ballistic and cruise missiles and other projectiles.
According to coalition figures, attacks on Saudi airports killed 19 people and injured 364, including 17 deaths and 333 injuries in attacks on Riyadh’s main airport between Wednesday, 7 October, and Sunday, 11 October.
Other attacks targeted Abha International Airport, where two people were killed and 28 injured, and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jizan, where three people were injured. Najran International Airport has also been targeted. On Wednesday, 21 October, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was struck, killing two people and injuring eight. Saudi aviation authorities subsequently said operations at the airport had resumed.
The attacks have continued in the days since. On Sunday, 25 October, the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a ballistic missile and two drones targeting Riyadh, followed by a cruise missile aimed at Khamis Mushait. Saudi Civil Defence reported two people injured by falling debris.
On Monday, 26 October, the Houthis claimed further attacks on King Khalid International Airport and pumping stations along Saudi's East-West oil pipeline. Saudi authorities had not confirmed the claims at the time of publication, although the coalition reported intercepting a missile heading towards Riyadh.
The latest claims follow Houthi statements on Tuesday, 20 October, that the group had targeted airports in Riyadh and Abha, an Aramco facility in Yanbu and the Shaybah oilfield in eastern Saudi. The UK meanwhile announced on Tuesday, 20 October, that RAF Typhoon fighter jets would fly defensive missions to help protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure against missile and drone attacks.
Are Saudi Arabia’s hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions open?
Hotels, restaurants, shopping centres and tourist attractions remain open, with no general order to close tourism or hospitality businesses. However, the deteriorating security situation has caused significant disruption to Saudi's events calendar.
Riyadh Fashion Week has been postponed until 2027, while the PIF Saudi International golf tournament, originally due to take place in Riyadh in November, has also been postponed. Soundstorm has been cancelled for 2026. The Six Kings Slam tennis tournament, which had been scheduled to take place in Riyadh from 21 to 24 October, has been moved to 27–30 December 2026.
The Red Sea International Film Festival will also not take place this year, although its postponement was announced before the latest escalation. The festival said on Monday, 21 September, that its sixth edition had been moved to the fourth quarter of 2027 following a review that included the logistical requirements of staging the event.
The EU-GCC summit, which had been due to take place in Riyadh on Saturday, 24 October, has also been postponed, with a new date yet to be announced.
The Future Investment Initiative is among the major events to have been postponed. The tenth edition of Saudi's major investment conference had been scheduled to run in Riyadh from Monday, 26 October, to Thursday, 29 October, but organisers announced on Monday, 19 October, that it would instead take place in 2027. New dates have yet to be announced.
What is the Saudi government’s latest advice?
Saudi authorities continue to issue emergency warnings through the country’s National Early Warning Platform during missile and drone threats, telling people in affected areas to follow official safety instructions.
Similar alerts were issued in Riyadh, Abha and Khamis Mushait over the weekend as Saudi forces intercepted ballistic missiles and drones, while a warning in Najran was lifted on Monday, 19 October, after Civil Defence said the danger had passed.
Saudi's Ministry of Interior has also reiterated warnings not to film, publish or share footage or information about missile and drone interceptions or impact sites, saying that doing so could result in legal action. Civil Defence has told people not to gather at impact sites or photograph them, and to continue following official safety instructions.
What are worldwide governments advising?
United Kingdom: The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the whole of Saudi, and against all travel within 10 kilometres of the border with Yemen. The advice was expanded nationwide on Friday, 16 October, following the escalation in Houthi missile and drone attacks. The FCDO warns of a heightened threat to airports, military and defence facilities, ports and energy infrastructure across the Kingdom, including in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Abha, Jizan, Najran and Yanbu. It specifically advises British nationals to stay away from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and warns that further attacks on airports, disruption and flight cancellations are “very likely”. Travelling against FCDO advice may also invalidate some travel insurance policies.
United States: The US State Department places Saudi at Level 3: Reconsider Travel because of the risk of drone and missile attacks by Iran and the Iran-backed Houthis, as well as armed conflict, terrorism, exit bans and laws governing social media activity. It advises against all travel to the Yemen border. The advisory, updated on Friday, 23 October, confirms that the US government has ordered non-emergency employees and their families to leave Saudi because of safety risks. It also warns of the potential for further Houthi attacks and says US government employees require special authorisation to use Saudi airports.
Australia: Australia advises its citizens not to travel to Saudi at all because of the volatile security situation. The advice, updated on Monday, 19 October, tells Australians to postpone all planned travel, including for religious purposes, and advises against travel to airports in Saudi following recent security incidents. Those already in the kingdom who choose to leave are advised to consider travelling by private car, train or bus, including to aviation hubs in the UAE and Qatar. Australians remaining in Saudi are advised to be prepared to shelter in place at short notice and have sufficient food, water and other essential supplies.
Canada: Canada advises against non-essential travel to Saudi because of the volatile regional security situation. It advises against all travel to Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport because of ongoing military activity, as well as to the provinces of Asir, Jazan and Najran and anywhere within 30 kilometres of the Yemen border. Its advice, most recently updated on Sunday, 18 October, warns that further attacks could lead to airport or airspace closures with little or no warning and advises travellers to have contingency plans in place.
Should you reconsider your travel plans?
Travellers with upcoming plans to visit Saudi should check the latest government advice before travelling, and those who do travel should be prepared for plans to change at short notice.
Although Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport has reopened, international flights remain significantly disrupted and further missile and drone attacks could result in sudden flight cancellations, airport closures or airspace restrictions. Passengers should reconfirm flights directly with their airline before setting out for the airport.
Travellers should also check their insurance carefully, as travelling against government advice can invalidate some policies. Those already in the country should monitor official alerts, follow instructions from local authorities and be prepared to shelter indoors during missile or drone warnings.
Particular caution is required close to the Yemen border, where the UK advises against all travel within 10 kilometres of the border, while several other governments advise against travel across a wider area of southern Saudi.
