The United States, United Kingdom and other foreign governments have warned their citizens to avoid Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport after a fresh attack injured several people and forced Saudi authorities to temporarily suspend operations at the facility.
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Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said the airport was targeted on Saturday afternoon, October 10, 2026, amid continuing attacks on the kingdom’s civil aviation infrastructure. Several people were injured, although authorities said the exact number was still being determined. Airport operations were suspended while officials assessed the damage and verified the safety of the facilities.
The incident prompted an immediate security response from foreign diplomatic missions in the kingdom, with the U.S. Mission advising American citizens to stay away from the airport and its surrounding areas.
“The U.S. Mission is aware of attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10 and strongly recommends all U.S. citizens avoid this airport and surrounding areas,” the embassy said.
The mission also warned travellers to expect possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and other disruptions, and advised passengers to confirm the status of their flights directly with airlines and airport authorities before travelling. U.S. government employees now require special authorisation to use King Khalid International Airport.
The British Embassy issued a similar warning after what it described as a “serious incident” at the airport.
“Following a serious incident at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 10 October 2026 at approximately 1500 local time, we advise British nationals to avoid King Khalid International Airport until the airport is secure and to monitor the advice of the Saudi authorities,” it said.
Canada also advised its citizens to exercise caution, saying ongoing military activity had affected airport operations, while Germany and Spain issued warnings urging their nationals to avoid the airport or restrict non-essential movements around the area.
The latest attack followed a series of strikes on Saudi aviation facilities in recent days. Earlier attacks on King Khalid International Airport had already caused deaths, injuries and major disruption to air traffic, while Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for several missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi airports.
There was, however, no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday’s latest attack as of the initial Saudi and international statements. Reuters said the incident came amid an escalation in missile attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement against Saudi Arabia.
Flight operations were heavily affected after the attack. Flight-tracking information cited by Reuters showed that flights into Riyadh were either cancelled or diverted at one stage, while Kuwait Airways cancelled services to and from the Saudi capital because of the security situation. Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways also cancelled a number of Riyadh services.
Japan, meanwhile, condemned the attacks on Saudi airports and other civilian facilities, warning that attacks against civilians could not be tolerated and calling on the Houthis to avoid further escalation inside Yemen and across the region.
The warnings came as tensions surrounding the conflict continued to rise. U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington was considering whether to join Saudi military action against the Houthis following the latest strike.
“We may. We’re going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly,” Trump told reporters.
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