The Riyadh airport attack on 10 October 2026 left 12 people dead and 309 injured, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), after a strike hit King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital. Saudi authorities blamed Yemen’s Houthi movement, while the Saudi-led military coalition threatened a response and US President Donald Trump said Washington was considering taking part in military operations against the group.
The victims came from several countries, highlighting the international impact of an attack on one of the region’s major aviation hubs. GACA identified four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshi nationals and one citizen each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt among those killed. Several injured passengers and airport workers were reported to be in critical condition.
The strike was the third reported attack on the airport within a week and the deadliest attack on Saudi territory in more than a decade, according to the original report. Earlier attacks on Thursday had also killed people and damaged an aircraft parked at the airport, raising concerns about the safety of civilian aviation as the conflict intensified.
Reuters reported that ambulances and helicopters transported casualties to hospitals. An eyewitness described an explosion followed by scenes of injured people inside the terminal. One wounded traveller told the news agency that part of the ceiling near a departure gate collapsed after an object crossed the sky.
Saudi authorities suspended airport operations and diverted incoming flights while officials assessed the damage. A Notice to Air Missions extended the closure until 21:00 GMT on Sunday, 11 October. The shutdown disrupted regional and international travel, leaving airlines to cancel or suspend services as passengers faced uncertainty over when flights would resume.
Kuwait Airways cancelled two flights between Kuwait and Riyadh scheduled for Sunday. Jazeera Airways also reported disruption, while India’s Akasa Air extended its suspension of flights to Saudi Arabia until Tuesday. Foreign missions issued warnings to their nationals, advising them to avoid Riyadh airport. The US Embassy also introduced additional travel restrictions for American government personnel using airports in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.
The disruption extended beyond air travel. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education instructed schools across Riyadh to move lessons online for one week, according to AFP, which cited an email sent to parents. The measures reflected the wider effects of the security situation on daily life in the capital.
Major-General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, described the airport attack as a war crime and said the coalition would respond in accordance with international humanitarian law. The coalition also reported intercepting a drone in eastern Saudi Arabia and said a separate projectile had landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
The Houthis had not formally claimed responsibility for Saturday’s strike at the time of the report. However, the group’s media office said it had shut down Riyadh’s airport. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree also renewed warnings to airlines and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace, while excluding Mecca and Medina from the warning.
The competing statements left responsibility for the specific attack unconfirmed publicly, despite Saudi Arabia’s accusation. The distinction is important as governments assess the incident and consider possible military responses.
The attack came amid renewed fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and forces supporting the internationally recognised government. Saudi Arabia has carried out air strikes against Houthi positions, while government-aligned Yemeni forces have launched operations around Taiz and areas near the Red Sea, according to the report.
Yemen’s conflict has drawn in regional powers since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government against the movement. A ceasefire established in 2022 reduced major hostilities, but that arrangement unravelled earlier in 2026 as fighting resumed.
The latest airport attack has raised the prospect of a broader regional confrontation. Trump described the incident as “terrible” and said he intended to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Asked whether US forces might join strikes against the Houthis, Trump told reporters, “We may. We’re going to look at it.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that an American citizen was among those killed and called for attacks against civilians to stop. His statement added to pressure on the Houthis as Washington considered its response alongside Saudi Arabia.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, stressing that strikes against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law and “must cease immediately”. Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, warned that attacks on Saudi airports threatened regional security and made efforts to resolve Yemen’s conflict more difficult.
International condemnation followed from Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Pakistan, India and several other countries. Oman urged restraint and called on the parties to avoid further escalation. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said attacks against civilian infrastructure had “no justification”, while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed his country’s support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security.
Despite the disruption to air travel, organisers of the World Petroleum Congress and the Future Investment Initiative said their events in Riyadh would proceed. Delegates were given information about alternative travel arrangements, including routes through Dammam, although the wider security situation continued to affect travel planning.
The immediate concerns remain the condition of those injured, the security of Saudi Arabia’s airports and the potential consequences of a military response. With Washington considering its options and the Saudi-led coalition promising retaliation, the attack has added a new source of uncertainty to an already fragile regional security situation.
