RIYADH — Twelve people were killed and 309 injured when an attack blamed on Yemen’s Houthi group struck King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday afternoon, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said early Sunday, in the third attack on Saudi airports this week.
FAKTA: Riyadh airport Houthi attack
- What: Attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- When: Saturday afternoon, October 10, 2026; casualty figures confirmed by Saudi aviation authorities early Sunday
- Death toll: 12 — four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, and one national each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan
- Injured: 309, some in critical condition, receiving treatment in hospitals across Riyadh
- Airport: Operations temporarily suspended; parts of the facilities evacuated; damage still being assessed
- Flights: 271 departing flights cancelled on Sunday — about 73 per cent of scheduled departures
Airport operations suspended
GACA said in its statement that operations at the airport had been temporarily suspended “pending a complete assessment of the damages and verification of the security of the facilities, in coordination with the competent authorities.” The authority confirmed that material damage was still being evaluated.
Before the casualty figures were released, Saudi authorities issued a travel alert asking passengers to contact their airline directly and confirm their flight before heading to the airport. Witnesses in the area reported loud explosions and columns of smoke rising from the airport, while ambulances and helicopters transported the injured to hospitals including King Fahad Hospital in Riyadh.
Flight disruption has been severe. According to Flightradar24 data recorded at 5:34 a.m. Saudi time on Sunday, 271 departing flights had been cancelled — 73 per cent of the day’s scheduled departures from one of Saudi Arabia’s principal international aviation hubs.
Third attack this week
The Saudi-led coalition blamed the attack on the Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen and described it as a “war crime.” It is the third Houthi attack on Saudi airports this week.
On Thursday, two assaults on King Khalid International Airport killed three Saudi citizens, including a Saudia airline pilot, and damaged an aircraft belonging to the national carrier. There was also an attack on Abha International Airport as fighting escalated between the Houthis and UN-backed Yemeni government forces. On Saturday, a projectile fell in the vicinity of King Fahd International Airport in Dammam as well.
Following the Saturday attack, the Houthi group said in a statement that it was ready for reciprocal measures with Saudi Arabia to keep airports, seaports and other facilities with humanitarian functions outside the escalating military confrontation. Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported on Saturday that Saudi Arabia had launched a new wave of air and missile strikes across Houthi-held areas in Yemen, targeting Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-held capital, areas near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait and several northern provinces.
International condemnation
US President Donald Trump condemned the attack on Saturday, telling reporters: “What happened in Saudi Arabia is not acceptable.” He said he would be speaking with the kingdom’s leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and added that the United States might join the strikes against the Houthis.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply shocked by and strongly condemn Saturday’s lethal attack by the Houthis on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh,” adding that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law and “must cease immediately.”
The US embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert asking American citizens to “take extreme caution when using all major airports in Saudi Arabia,” while other diplomatic missions advised their citizens to avoid the airport. Passengers were urged to check their flight status with their airline before travelling.
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