JEDDAH: As smoke filled the air and terrified passengers fled for safety, Saudi Ground Services employee Mohammed Saleh Al-Yami made a decision that would leave a lasting impression on those caught up in the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh: he turned back.
Even after being injured, Al-Yami repeatedly returned to the danger zone to help evacuate passengers, guiding vulnerable travelers to safety and providing first aid to the wounded amid scenes of fear and confusion.
“Once the explosion occurred, I immediately crossed the jet bridge and ran to the terminal. What I found was not the same terminal that I knew. I saw people running, screaming and shouting,” Al-Yami told Arab News.
What followed was a series of actions that have since earned him widespread praise.
When another aircraft arrived during the emergency, Al-Yami headed back to the jet bridge to help evacuate about 38 passengers and 11 crew members. Among them were travelers who needed urgent assistance.
“I was able to carry an elderly woman and take her to a safe area. Then I came back to lead a blind man and a paralyzed passenger to safety as quickly as I could,” he said.
The airport worker then returned to the terminal, where panic was spreading as families searched desperately for loved ones.
“Beside the black flames, there was widespread chaos, panic and intense fear. The air was filled with the screams of children and women, while families cried out for help and searched for their loved ones amid the debris and smoke,” he said.
In the midst of the turmoil, Al-Yami noticed a family struggling to cope after the mother suffered serious injuries. Drawing on his first-aid training, he stopped to help before continuing to assist other victims.
“I saw a family who really needed help because the mother had been severely injured. I was able to dress her wounds using my first-aid training. Fortunately, I was able to help her, and then I moved on to other injured people,” he said.
Al-Yami's efforts came at a personal cost. He later underwent three operations on his back and spent several days recovering in hospital.
His actions have been widely praised for exemplifying calmness, professionalism and selflessness under extraordinary circumstances.
Among those recognizing his efforts were Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, and Saudi Ground Services CEO Mohammed Mazi, who visited Al-Yami in hospital alongside members of the company’s leadership team.
During the visit, Mazi commended Al-Yami’s courage and humanitarian response, highlighting his determination to assist passengers and support evacuation efforts despite his own injuries.