Riyadh’s roads remain crowded, many offices are open and sporting events are going ahead, even as deadly attacks on the Saudi capital’s airport have disrupted travel and forced schools to switch to remote learning.
King Khalid International Airport, Saudi Arabia’s second-busiest after King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, will remain closed until midnight on October 17, according to a Notice to Air Missions issued on Monday, following a series of attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants.
Operations at the airport have been suspended since an attack on Saturday that killed 13 people and injured more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade. Another attack on Sunday killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others.
The strikes have caused one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi aviation in years, adding pressure to an industry already grappling with conflict across the Middle East and higher jet fuel prices that are eating into profits.
Despite the repeated attacks, Salman Al Dosary, Saudi Minister of Media, said on Monday life was continuing as normal.
Streets full of cars
The National spoke to five Riyadh residents about how the attacks had affected their daily lives.
“The usual traffic is there. The streets are full of cars,” said Christina, a Lebanese citizen working in Riyadh on an events management project. “I’m working from the office and the roads look completely normal on my way to work.”
Tony, another foreign resident, said his company has given employees the choice of working from home or going into the office. Some of his friends, however, have been told to work remotely.
“We could hear loud explosions from time to time, but the situation was worse for those living near the airport,” he said.
Several events, summits and conferences are scheduled to take place in Riyadh over the coming weeks, with most appearing set to proceed as planned. However, the Misk Foundation, a non-profit organisation established by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to empower young people in Saudi Arabia, announced on Monday that this year’s Misk Global Forum would not go ahead, citing organisational and logistical challenges.
Saudi Pro League football matches are also expected to continue and the Riyadh Racing Season is due to begin on Friday.
Ahlam, a Saudi journalist, highlighted Saturday night’s Saudi Clasico between Al Hilal and Al Ittihad at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. The match took place as scheduled before a crowd of about 22,800, she said.
Schools and travel hit
Schools in Riyadh have been ordered to switch to remote learning for a week, according to an email sent to parents on Sunday citing instructions from the Education Ministry. It is the second time in less than a month that schools in the capital have moved online.
The Houthis have warned of further strikes on Saudi airports. Late on Monday, they said they had targeted Riyadh’s international airport with a ballistic missile, shortly after Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed a missile fired towards the capital by the militant group.
The attacks represent a sharp escalation in the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which has long backed Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Riyadh has vowed to respond, while US President Donald Trump has said Washington is considering joining Saudi strikes against the rebels.
Mr Trump condemned the Riyadh attack, saying it was unacceptable. “The Houthis are misbehaving very badly. No good,” the President said. He added that he would be speaking to Prince Mohammed.
The airport closure has forced travellers to find alternative routes out of Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed, who needed to travel for work, said he drove from Riyadh to Dammam, flew to Jeddah and then caught a flight to Paris.
“The [King Khalid] airport is closed and I was travelling for work, so I had to take the longer route,” he said.
Gap in public alerts
Rami, another Riyadh resident, said he was concerned about the apparent gap in public alerts before the latest attacks. He said he had not received one for weeks, until they resumed on Monday.
“I received one yesterday,” he said. “Before that, the last one I got was on September 19. And I’m not the only one who noticed the gap.”
His account could not independently establish whether alerts had been issued to other residents. Messages seen by The National suggest public alerts had resumed by Monday.
Early on Tuesday, residents also received a Civil Defence message urging them to update their mobile phone operating systems to the latest available version “to ensure that warnings are received”.
The contrast between busy streets and the disruption to schools and air travel reflects the uncertainty facing residents as Saudi Arabia braces for further attacks, and the possibility of a wider conflict that could draw in the US.
The interviewees’ surnames have been withheld at their request because of the sensitivity of the situation