Explosions were reported at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Saturday, prompting the evacuation of parts of the facility and disrupting flight operations, according to reports by international news agencies, amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s armed forces on Saudi airports.
Reuters, citing an eyewitness and people briefed on the incident, reported that a loud explosion was heard and passengers were evacuated from parts of the airport. More than 12 ambulances were also seen heading to the facility.
#Video shows explosions and evacuations at #Riyadh airport as flights are disrupted amid escalating confrontation with #Yemen https://t.co/Hq53dMp1Le
— Al-Manar English (@manarenglish) October 10, 2026
Flight-tracking data showed flights bound for Riyadh being diverted or canceled, while Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways canceled several flights, with some cancellations extending through Monday. Airport authorities urged passengers to check their flight status before traveling to the airport.
Agence France-Presse (AFP), citing three witnesses, also reported that parts of the airport had been evacuated. One witness said she heard an explosion at around 3 p.m. local time while waiting for her flight. The agency also quoted a relative of one of the injured as saying that a person had sustained shrapnel wounds to the shoulders and arms from flying glass and had been taken to hospital.
The Associated Press (AP), meanwhile, cited two regional officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as saying the airport had come under a new attack and been evacuated. One of the officials said air traffic had been halted.
Saturday’s incident follows two attacks targeting the airport on Thursday, October 8. In a statement issued on Friday, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said the first attack targeted airport facilities, while the second struck an aircraft belonging to Saudia, the national carrier.
Separately, media reports pointed to disruptions at other Saudi airports, including those in Jeddah, Dammam, Al-Ahsa, and Abha. Reports also said a column of smoke rose near the Shedgum gas facility in Al-Ahsa following a morning attack.
Footage shows the evacuation of #Riyadh Airport following the Yemeni missile attack https://t.co/Ch4kuYFPex
— Al-Manar English (@manarenglish) October 10, 2026
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Saba news agency reported that Saudi aircraft carried out four airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport on Saturday.
Sanaa maintains that attacks on Saudi airports are a response to attacks on and the blockade imposed on Yemeni airports, under what it describes as the principle of “airport for airport.”
Source: Al-Manar Website