Houthi Missile Strike on Riyadh Airport Kills 12, Closes Hub

· Finance · Saudi Arabia

A missile strike on Saudi Arabia's international airport in Riyadh killed at least 12 people and injured hundreds, forcing authorities to close the hub. It was the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade and came days after multiple attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The assault on airports is spooking travelers and threatening another pillar of the kingdom's growth, which has depended heavily on aviation, tourism and transit traffic as part of its economic diversification drive. Markets and insurers will be weighing the implications for regional travel demand, infrastructure risk and the cost of doing business in the Gulf.

Why it matters：Repeated strikes on Saudi aviation infrastructure raise the risk premium for Gulf travel, tourism and insurance, and could slow one of the region's main non-oil growth engines.

Key points

  • At least 12 people were killed and hundreds injured.
  • Authorities closed the international airport in Riyadh.
  • It was the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade, days after multiple Houthi attacks.

Sources (original reporting)

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