Explosions and fresh missile alerts disrupted calm in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Sunday as authorities prepared to reopen the city’s international airport after a two-week closure caused by repeated attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
According to reports, three explosions occurred in the early hours, while residents received emergency alerts warning of a hostile aerial threat and urging them to move to safe locations.
The Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh, as well as two drones in the capital area.
Later on Sunday morning, the coalition announced that it had intercepted a cruise missile launched towards Khamis Mushait, a city in southern Saudi Arabia.
Despite the renewed attacks, Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport was scheduled to resume flights on Sunday after remaining closed for two weeks. Flight-tracking website Flightradar showed an aircraft taking off early in the day.
However, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned airlines, airport workers and passengers against using the facility, describing it as unsafe.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all international, regional and local airlines — as well as staff and travellers — against using King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, as it is unsafe and serves as a military target for our forces,” Saree said.
He warned that the Saudi government would bear the consequences of any operations at the airport.
The latest attacks came after the Houthis claimed to have targeted three Saudi airports within 24 hours, alongside energy installations, a pipeline and an air base.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence agency also reported responding to falling debris in the Mecca and Medina regions on Saturday following the interception of two missiles.
The Houthis denied targeting the two cities, which are Islam’s holiest sites, describing the Saudi allegation as a “huge lie”.
The group also claimed responsibility for attacks on the southern Yemeni city of Aden, the interim seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, saying it had targeted a naval base and a military camp overseen by Saudi forces.
The escalation follows the collapse of a years-long truce between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government. The conflict has intensified as the wider US-Iran war has shifted regional security calculations.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter, has faced mounting pressure from the attacks, which have disrupted aviation, businesses and daily life while threatening its energy infrastructure.
The Houthis’ recent territorial advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast have further destabilised the region and added to uncertainty in global oil markets.
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