Why are the Houthis striking Saudi airports?

EXPLAINER

The attacks mark one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi ​civil aviation in ​years and the deadliest assault on Saudi soil in more than a decade

Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack that killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh – the day after another attack killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

The attacks mark one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi civil aviation in years and the deadliest assault on Saudi soil in more than a decade, as Yemeni government forces are also targeting airfields in Houthi-controlled territory.

The sharp escalation in the war’s new front comes amid fighting between the Iran-aligned Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, following the collapse of a United Nations-brokered ceasefire largely in place since 2022.

Which Saudi airports have the Houthis hit?

• King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh: The airport in the Saudi capital has been struck four times in the past five days. Saudi authorities reported that one person was killed and eight wounded on October 7 . The following day, a raid killed an airline pilot and two other Saudi citizens, with several others wounded.
• King Fahd International Airport in Dammam: Houthis claimed an attack on the airport in Dammam, the industrial port city on the Gulf coast, on Sunday.
• Abha International Airport: On October 7 , two people were killed and 28 wounded in an attack on facilities at the airport, the civil aviation authority said.
• King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan: On October 6 , Saudi authorities reported attacks on the southern airport that injured three people.
• Najran Airport: The same day, Saudi authorities said Najran Airport was hit and reported minor injuries.

Have Yemeni forces hit Houthi-held airports too?

Yes. Houthi-run media on Sunday reported “Saudi” air strikes targeting areas in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, held by the Iran-backed armed group.

The reports said the attacks targeted the Airport Road area of Sanaa’s al-Thawra district, as well as the Hamdan district. There was no information on the results of those attacks.

Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia also hit Sanaa airport on July 13 with at least five munitions in a series of air attacks, three of which directly struck the only working runway.

The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and parts of northwestern Yemen since 2014. Battles are raging around the southern cities of Mocha and Dhubab, which are on the Red Sea coast and strategically important for control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

The vital shipping chokepoint has become an important alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks have raised the costs and risks for oil tanker operators.

Why are Houthis attacking Saudi airports?

The attacks have emptied skies over the Saudi capital Riyadh, as ‌‌‌‌authorities extended the suspension of operations at the city’s international airport, the second-busiest after Jeddah.

Lufthansa has cancelled all flights to Riyadh until October 16 , while Air France-KLM extended its previous ⁠⁠⁠⁠suspension of services to and from the Saudi capital until the end of the month. The UK, France and Germany have warned their citizens to avoid Riyadh.

The disruption comes as the country hosts two major Saudi energy and investment conferences.

Organisers of the World ⁠⁠⁠⁠Petroleum Congress (WPC), set to host top global oil executives and policymakers from Sunday to Thursday, said it was proceeding as planned. The Future Investment Initiative, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the kingdom’s flagship investment conference a ‌‌‌‌decade ⁠⁠⁠⁠ago, would also proceed as planned from October 26-29 .

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told the WPC that the kingdom’s resilience had been put to the test, but sought to reassure attendees at the high-profile conference that its response would be “equally serious”.

The kingdom, which is preparing to host the 2032 FIFA World Cup, has long sought to market itself as a secure destination for major events, global tourism and investments.

Hisham al-Omeisy, a conflict analyst and adviser at the European Institute of Peace, predicted that the Houthis would escalate attacks to include oil pipelines and energy facilities – and continue attacks on airports because of the strong “public response” to hitting such targets.

“Houthis have escalated massively, they’ve crossed that line… they have their own frameworks, their own calculations and stopping at attacking a civilian airport is not one of those calculations,” al-Omeisy told Al Jazeera.

“They are a maximalist group and they’re there to do whatever they need to do to get to what they want,” the analyst said, including “more concessions from the Saudis.”

Why are Yemeni forces attacking Houthi-held airports?

The Yemeni capital hosts the only airport providing international flights to and from Houthi-controlled territory, where the majority of Yemen’s population lives.

The Houthi-run broadcaster also reported attacks on Thursday on Hodeidah International Airport on the Red Sea coast, without specifying the extent of the damage.

Yemeni representatives at the UN have claimed that those airports are being used to shuttle Houthi delegations to and from Iran, which backs the group. According to the government of Yemen, the attacks have hit airport facilities to prevent Iranian flights from landing there.