Five Airport Attacks in Saudi Arabia in One Week Cause Over 300 Deaths and Injuries; Multiple Countries Issue Travel Warnings for Saudi Arabia
After Saudi airports were hit by five attacks in less than a week, the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand successively issued travel warnings for Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh attributed the threat to Iran and the Houthis. An attack the previous day on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 13 and injured over 300.
Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said that on Sunday a projectile hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing one and injuring 11. The previous day's attack on the same airport had already killed 13 and injured over 300 — what Saudi authorities described as the most lethal strike the country had suffered in more than a decade. According to Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia has suffered a total of five airport attacks in less than a week.
This wave of attacks triggered a collective response from multiple Western governments. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh's Sunday warning attributed the threat to "Iran and Iranian-backed Houthis," continuing Washington's established policy logic of framing regional conflicts within the "Iran threat" framework.
On Monday, Australia and New Zealand became the two latest countries to issue warnings. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advised its citizens to avoid King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and to "reconsider" travel to other Saudi airports. New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade required its citizens not to travel to Riyadh's main airport or to Najran, Jazan, and Asir provinces for any reason, and advised against all travel to Saudi Arabia.
Previously, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea had successively issued warnings of varying degrees. Global Affairs Canada issued an advisory against non-essential travel to all of Saudi Arabia. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office required citizens to avoid Jeddah and Dammam and to use Saudi airports other than Medina International Airport only when necessary. The South Korean government advised its citizens to leave Saudi Arabia or cancel trips there.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the four airport attacks prior to Sunday; the latest Sunday attack has not been claimed by any organization. King Khalid International Airport and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam remained closed following the attacks, causing severe disruption to aviation in the Middle East. According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, more than 150 flights were cancelled and 374 were delayed at Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport on Sunday.
Singapore-based independent analyst Brendan Sobie told Al Jazeera: "Just as the Iran war affected the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain, the impact of this crisis will depend on how long it lasts, how long Riyadh airport remains closed, and how long and to what extent restrictions will continue after reopening." He said it is still too early to assess the full impact of this conflict on the regional aviation industry.
The synchronized action of Western governments highlights an asymmetric prioritization: travel warnings to evacuate their own citizens were issued within days, while a systematic response to the broader political causes behind this conflict — which has already caused the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Saudi civilians — remains conspicuously absent.
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