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Saudi civil defence sent emergency alerts warning of a hostile aerial threat to residents in Riyadh early on Saturday, according to reports from Reuters. A journalist with the news agency heard two loud booms in the Olaya district of the capital shortly after the first alert was issued around 3 a.m. local time. The authority lifted the alert within half an hour and issued a second warning at approximately 5:20 a.m. before declaring all-clear again, with residents urged to avoid crowds and refrain from filming any incident sites.
Similar alerts were dispatched to other regions including Al-Kharj east of the capital, the Red Sea cities of Jeddah and Yanbu, and Farasan Island, the Civil Defence indicated through the National Early Warning Platform. These notifications instructed people to stay indoors and away from windows during the perceived threats. The episodes represent the first alerts for Riyadh since the Iran-aligned Houthis ramped up operations against Saudi targets in July, Reuters reported.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea stated earlier this week that the group launched drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia in response to more than 450 Saudi airstrikes on their positions over the preceding seven days, a BBC News summary of the developments noted. The Houthis seized control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast this month, including the strategic port of Mokha and Perim Island, which they cited as part of a maritime embargo declared against Saudi Arabia. The group has targeted Saudi vessels in the Red Sea as part of the blockade, which they say retaliates for Saudi restrictions on ports and airports in Houthi-held areas of Yemen.
The United Nations Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia in a statement issued on Friday, a Reuters dispatch noted. The council highlighted impacts on civilian and energy infrastructure that injured civilians, including women and children. Both Yemen’s government and Saudi Arabia had called for stronger action against the Houthis during an emergency meeting earlier in the week, accusing them of using control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait to exert economic pressure.
Saudi Arabia has faced a series of alerts across multiple provinces in recent days, including in Mecca, Jeddah and Taif, Arab News figures show. The kingdom’s air defences have intercepted projectiles on several occasions amid the flare-up that began with the Houthis’ lightning advance along Yemen’s western coastline. A separate incident last week involved a drone attack from Iraq that forced the closure of the vital East-West oil pipeline, according to Saudi government statements.
The escalation poses additional challenges for Saudi efforts to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment and tourism, as disruptions to oil exports through alternative routes have mounted, Bloomberg data indicates. Maritime tracking information from Kpler revealed a drop in Saudi oil shipments via the Bab al-Mandab Strait since July, although some vessels continued to transit in recent days. The situation unfolds against a backdrop of broader regional tensions that have already affected global shipping and energy markets.
