Riyadh airport attack deadliest in a decade as Gulf states raise alert

· Security · Saudi Arabia · United Arab Emirates

The Houthi missile attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, which killed 12 and wounded more than 300, is the deadliest incident in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade, authorities said. The strike prompted Saudi health officials to activate a rare mass call-up of doctors, and airlines cancelled flights. In the same period, the UAE National Guard rescued 22 people after an oil tanker caught fire, underscoring security and safety risks across the Gulf. Major Saudi conferences are set to go ahead despite the attack.

Why it matters：The scale of the attack and simultaneous Gulf incidents signal rising regional insecurity affecting aviation, shipping and diplomacy.

Key points

  • The attack killed 12 and wounded more than 300, Saudi authorities said.
  • Saudi health officials activated a rare mass call-up of doctors.
  • Major Saudi conferences will go ahead despite the attack.

Sources (original reporting)

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