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Nations issue travel warnings for Saudi Arabia after Houthi airport attacks

Five strikes in a week kill at least 14, close two major airports and disrupt flights across the region

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Australia and New Zealand on Monday joined the United States, Canada, Britain, South Korea and Japan in warning citizens against travel to Saudi Arabia, after a week of Houthi attacks on airports in the kingdom killed at least 14 people and forced the closure of two major hubs.

Several countries have warned their citizens against travel to Saudi Arabia following a series of Houthi attacks on airports in the kingdom.

Australia and New Zealand issued advisories on Monday, joining the United States, Canada, the UK, South Korea and Japan. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Australians to avoid King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and to 'reconsider' travel to other Saudi airports. New Zealand's foreign ministry urged citizens not to travel to Riyadh's main gateway or the provinces of Najran, Jazan and Asir, and to avoid non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia as a whole.

The US embassy in Riyadh advised US citizens to reconsider travel to the kingdom, citing the threat of attacks by Iran and the Iranian-backed Houthis. Canada issued an advisory against non-essential travel to any part of Saudi Arabia, while South Korea recommended that its citizens leave unless on essential business. The UK urged travellers to avoid Jeddah and Dammam and all airports except Medina International Airport.

The warnings follow five attacks on Saudi airports in less than a week. A Houthi strike on King Khalid International Airport on Saturday killed 13 people and injured more than 300, the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation. A projectile struck the same airport on Sunday, killing one person and injuring 11. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the four earlier strikes; Sunday's attack has yet to be claimed.

King Khalid airport and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam remain closed, and flights to and from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah have been disrupted. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 recorded more than 150 cancellations and 374 delays at Jeddah on Sunday.

Brendan Sobie, an independent aviation analyst in Singapore, said it was too early to predict the ramifications for aviation in the region and beyond, comparing the situation to disruption caused by the Iran war on the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The attacks have killed at least 14 people at a civilian airport in two days, and the closure of Riyadh and Dammam hubs is disrupting air travel across the Middle East.
  • Travel warnings from at least seven governments signal a security risk that could push airlines to reroute or suspend services to Saudi Arabia.
  • The US advisory explicitly cites Iran, indicating the attacks are being read as part of a wider regional confrontation rather than an isolated incident.

Background

The Houthi movement, which controls large parts of Yemen, has been fighting a Saudi-led military coalition since 2015 and has periodically launched missiles and drones at Saudi cities and infrastructure. The recent airport strikes mark a significant escalation, with Saturday's attack described as the deadliest on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. The conflict has repeatedly disrupted civilian infrastructure and aviation in the region.

Key Perspectives

Saudi Arabia: Its General Authority of Civil Aviation has confirmed the casualties and kept the affected airports closed, indicating passenger safety is the immediate priority. The Houthis: The group claimed responsibility for four of the five strikes, presenting them as part of its military campaign; the fifth remains unclaimed. Foreign governments: The US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan have all tightened travel guidance, with several urging citizens to leave or cancel planned trips. Analysts: Brendan Sobie cautioned that it is too early to assess the broader impact on regional aviation, drawing comparisons with disruption caused by the Iran war.

What to Watch

  • Whether anyone claims Sunday's strike on King Khalid airport, and how Saudi Arabia responds to the unclaimed attack.
  • Whether Riyadh and Dammam airports reopen and how quickly flight schedules recover at Jeddah.
  • Diplomatic efforts: Al Jazeera reported that Iran's foreign minister urged diplomacy in a call with his Saudi counterpart, a possible sign of efforts to contain the escalation.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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