Alert Issued in Saudi Arabia(Alert ) 

Riyadh: Loud explosions were heard in parts of the Saudi capital on Saturday. The Houthis claimed to have attacked “sensitive targets” in Riyadh and the Red Sea port city of Yanbu. Earlier, a warning had been issued regarding the potential threat of hostile aerial attacks in Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, plumes of black smoke and flames were seen near Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. Saudi Civil Defence had sent alerts  (Alert )   to residents of Riyadh and Al-Kharj—a city east of the capital—warning them of the potential threat from aerial attacks.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that the group conducted two operations using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. He explained that one operation targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh, while the other targeted Aramco facilities in Yanbu.

A large plume of black smoke was seen rising near the airport, with flames visible behind structures resembling fuel tanks. An AFP journalist also witnessed a fire at an Aramco fuel tank near the airport, while firefighters were seen attempting to extinguish the blaze. Two Riyadh residents told AFP they saw black smoke and fire in the direction of the airport. One resident remarked, “We saw black smoke and fire towards the airport.”

Flights Disrupted at Riyadh Airport
Flight operations at King Khalid International Airport were disrupted following the incident. FlightRadar24 reported flight cancellations and delays at the airport, assigning it a score of 5.0 on its ‘Disruption Index’—the highest possible level. This indicates “major issues, such as long delays and numerous flight cancellations.” Local residents reported hearing explosions following the morning alert. A Reuters journalist in Riyadh’s Olaya district heard the sound of blasts before the ‘all-clear’ was issued. Saudi authorities had issued an alert regarding an aerial threat. These alerts were issued overnight as attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group against Saudi Arabia intensified.

First alert issued in Riyadh
This was the first such alert in Riyadh since tensions with the Houthi group escalated in July. The group has launched attacks on Saudi Arabia—including targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea—after announcing a naval blockade against Riyadh. However, Saudi authorities did not immediately identify the source of the aerial threat, nor did they publicly confirm whether the fire near the airport was caused by a Houthi attack. The Saudi government’s media office also did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the smoke and the alerts issued overnight.