Riyadh airport reopens amid Houthi attacks

RIYADH, Oct 25: Flights resumed at Riyadh's international airport on Sunday following a series of deadly attacks on the facility that saw it closed for two weeks, even as Yemen's Houthis targeted the country with strikes.

King Khalid International Airport's website showed several domestic and international flights scheduled today, including arrivals to the kingdom from Dubai, Paris and Cairo.

The renewed operations at the airport came as explosions rattled Riyadh early Sunday, after a text message was sent to residents warning of a hostile threat targeting the city.

The closure of the airport was a major blow for Saudi Arabia, with the kingdom's flagship investment conference postponed until 2027 as residents scrambled to find alternatives to enter and exit the country.
The prestigious motor sport race, the Dakar Rally, also added its name to a long list of events to be cancelled, postponed or relocated amid the fallout from the war.

Saudi officials did not provide additional information when asked by AFP about the scope of the renewed operations at the airport.

But the tracking website Flightradar24 showed a small number of flights had departed, though the vast majority were cancelled.

The Houthis have carried out waves of strikes on the airport, including an attack this month that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree earlier warned that Riyadh airport was still "unsafe" and a "military target".

"The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all international, regional and local airlines -- as well as staff and travellers -- against using King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, as it is unsafe and serves as a military target for our forces," he said.�" AFP