Saudi Arabia reports two Riyadh missile interceptions as airport closure extends

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh on Monday, October 12, as the Yemeni group claimed it had targeted the capital’s airport. Saudi officials did not confirm that the airport was the missiles’ target. King Khalid International Airport is scheduled to remain closed until October 17 after deadly strikes over the weekend, prolonging disruption for travellers.

What Saudi Arabia and the Houthis said about Monday’s missiles

The Saudi-led coalition told the Associated Press it had intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles twice on Monday. AP reported that at least three explosions were heard in Riyadh and that civil defence later said the danger had passed. Al Jazeera separately reported a statement from Saudi military spokesman Turki al-Maliki saying air defences had downed a missile fired from Yemen. He did not specify its target.

The Houthis said they had targeted Riyadh airport late Monday, according to Al Jazeera. The available accounts do not establish whether either missile reported intercepted by Saudi Arabia was the weapon behind that claim. Reuters’ earlier account said incoming drones and missiles had been reported, but it had no immediate information at that point about interceptions. AP subsequently reported the coalition’s account of two interceptions.

The Houthis also claimed a drone attack on the Khamis Mushait airbase, Reuters reported in an account hosted by Channel NewsAsia. That report said there was no immediate Saudi confirmation of the airbase claim. The reported Riyadh interceptions and the claimed Khamis Mushait operation are separate developments with different levels of confirmation.

How long King Khalid International Airport is due to remain closed

The airport has been shut since an October 10 attack that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, according to Reuters. It described the strike as the kingdom’s deadliest in more than a decade. A further attack on Sunday, October 11, killed one person and injured nearly a dozen more, the same report said. Monday’s missile reports followed two days of deadly attacks, although the available reporting does not establish an additional death or injury toll from Monday’s claimed airport strike.

The disruption extends beyond the closed airport. Reuters, citing aviation analytics company Cirium, reported that cancellations across Saudi airports had reached 46.4 percent. It said Flightradar24 showed aircraft avoiding Riyadh on Monday. Those figures describe the situation reported at the time and do not establish how many passengers have been displaced or when affected services will return.

Airlines have begun making longer-term changes. Reuters reported that Lufthansa Group cancelled Riyadh flights through October 16, Air France-KLM extended its suspension through the end of October, and Etihad extended cancellations. Delta postponed its planned Atlanta–Riyadh service, originally due to start October 23, until March 2027. The varying timetables leave travellers dependent on individual airline updates as well as the airport’s reopening decision.

What the inquiry into the earlier Riyadh attacks is examining

Saudi Arabia has opened an investigation into how its air defences failed to stop the earlier barrage, AP reported, citing two regional officials who were not authorised to speak publicly. The officials said an initial inquiry indicated the Houthis sent multiple drones before cruise and ballistic missiles reached King Khalid International Airport. AP said the Saudi government did not immediately respond to its request for comment on the investigation.

According to those officials, investigators are also examining why air defences provided no earlier warning after the drones and missiles travelled more than 1,000 kilometres to Riyadh. AP reported that some Houthi ballistic missile warheads can change direction during flight, presenting a challenge for Patriot interceptors and other Saudi systems. The officials’ account describes a preliminary inquiry, rather than published findings of a completed investigation.

Regional responses and the questions still open

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman addressed the attacks at the World Petroleum Energy Congress on Monday. ‘Our response must be equally serious,’ he said, according to AP. Reuters reported that UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash called for renewed joint Gulf security and defence action, saying attacks on Saudi Arabia undermined the security of all Gulf states.

Reuters also reported an offer from Iran to mediate between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had repeatedly expressed readiness to facilitate dialogue. The reports do not say that talks have begun. The immediate unanswered questions are the target and outcome of Monday’s claimed airport attack, the findings of the Saudi air-defence inquiry, and whether the airport can reopen on its announced schedule.