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Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, known as the Houthis, carried out a series of strikes across Saudi Arabia in October 2026 that included a cruise missile attack on a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The assault killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300 others, many critically, forcing authorities to suspend airport operations for several days, according to a New York Times report published on October 11. Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki stated that the group launched 20 attacks on the airport during the month, while additional strikes targeted oil installations in areas such as Abqaiq, Ras Tanura and Rabigh. A Reuters dispatch on October 15 noted that one drone also hit King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, disrupting air traffic in the region.
The Ansarullah military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for six operations that also struck a military command center in Najran, where the group said soldiers and officers were killed or wounded, in a statement reported by Shafaq News on October 29. Saudi air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles headed toward Riyadh, with falling debris causing minor injuries to one civilian and damage to a house and vehicle, according to Saudi civil defense officials cited in the same report. Coalition statements listed dozens of Houthi attempts on Saudi infrastructure in recent weeks, including ports and energy sites, as fighting resumed in Yemen last month.
Iran has provided weapons, funding and training to the Houthis for more than a decade, enabling the group to approach self-sufficiency in advanced missile and drone production, a Reuters investigation found on October 15. Weapons experts told the outlet that the Houthis have diversified supply chains to obtain dual-use components despite a United Nations arms embargo. The sheer size of Saudi Arabia complicates complete defense coverage, leaving vulnerabilities that the group has exploited through coordinated waves of attacks, according to the assessment.
The strikes have disrupted Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to become a global hub for business and tourism as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 economic diversification plan. A New York Times analysis indicated that the attacks brought the Yemen conflict directly to Saudi civilians, eroding the sense of security that had prevailed for most residents during years of Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. International airlines suspended flights to the kingdom, and delegates to energy conferences resorted to video links or lengthy overland travel from neighboring countries, a Los Angeles Times report from October 13 stated.
An analysis published by Pars Today described the situation as a reverse equation in Riyadh in which Ansarullah has challenged Saudi Arabia’s investment security. General Authority for Statistics figures show foreign direct investment inflows grew 33.5 percent in 2025 to SAR 159.1 billion, underscoring the stakes for the kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals that target lifting inbound FDI to 5.7 percent of GDP by 2030. The incidents follow a decade-long Saudi-led intervention in Yemen that began in 2015 and has created conditions the Houthis cite as justification for retaliation, according to multiple regional reports.
Saudi officials have signaled limited appetite for a full ground re-engagement in Yemen’s rugged terrain that could further strain resources and investor perceptions. Economists monitoring the situation have pointed to potential impacts on foreign direct investment inflows that the kingdom has sought to accelerate in non-oil sectors. The attacks follow a pattern in which Houthi actions, including earlier strikes on Aramco facilities, have imposed costs through uncertainty even when physical damage remains limited, a Middle East Forum review published on October 25 noted. Saudi Arabia continues to intercept many incoming projectiles while pursuing diplomatic channels alongside its military support for Yemeni government forces.
