US issues Saudi airport travel warning after Houthi attacks
The US Embassy in Riyadh restricted employee airport travel as Riyadh flights remained suspended and Aden reported deadly fighting.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
A Saudi airport travel warning issued by the US Embassy in Riyadh tells Americans to use extreme caution at the kingdom’s airports after Houthi attacks, while US government employees must obtain special permission before flying. The warning came as the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on Yemen’s government headquarters in Aden that Yemen’s health minister said killed at least five people and wounded 16.
Al Jazeera reported on October 16 that the attack struck the al-Maashiq Palace, a base for Yemen’s internationally recognised government in the southern port city. The outlet said two bodyguards of Yemen’s prime minister were killed; the prime minister and other officials survived.
The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, said they had targeted a building containing what their military spokesman Yahya Saree called a Saudi military operations room. Yemen’s prime minister called it a terrorist attack intended to disrupt state institutions, according to Al Jazeera. Those descriptions have not been independently established in the supplied reports.
Which Saudi airports are affected by the US travel warning?
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remained closed to operations through Saturday, according to the US Embassy alert reported by Al Jazeera. King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam were still operating, though passengers faced delays and cancellations.
The embassy said US government employees require special authorisation to use any airport in Saudi Arabia. It advised US citizens who choose to fly to take extreme caution and suggested private cars, trains or buses as alternatives. It also said airports in Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates remained open.
CBS News separately reported that the State Department’s restriction required approval from the chief of mission, and said Riyadh airport’s suspension ran through October 17. The reports describe a security measure and flight disruption, not a blanket prohibition on civilian air travel.
What Saudi Arabia and the Houthis say
Saudi Arabia has described Houthi attacks on its airports and oil facilities as “full-fledged war crimes,” Al Jazeera reported. That is the Saudi government’s allegation, rather than a legal finding.
Earlier reports cited by CBS said Saudi Civil Defense reported that debris from two intercepted Houthi missiles injured four people and damaged 15 homes in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry also said a limited fire broke out at an administrative building in an Aramco facility in the Eastern Province after it was targeted, with no injuries reported.
The fighting has also raised wider regional security concerns. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said the threat to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz remained severe and that additional attacks were highly likely amid Iranian military activity, Al Jazeera reported. The warning is separate from the Saudi airport alert but reflects the broader disruption reported across the region.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.