Houthis Escalate Attacks on Saudi Civilian Airports as Yemen War Enters New Phase

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia’s civilian airports, carrying out some of the most dangerous strikes on Saudi soil in the past decade. The escalation follows the collapse of a UN-mediated ceasefire established in 2022 and the resumption of war between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces allied with Saudi Arabia. The attacks have severely disrupted Saudi air travel, and strikes targeting airports used by the public are being described by the international community as a major threat to regional stability. As a new phase of the war begins, both sides are trying to damage each other’s key civilian infrastructure. In the past five days alone, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, was attacked four times. In the October 10 attack, 13 people were killed and more than 300 were injured, while in an attack the next day, one person was killed and 11 were injured. In an earlier attack on October 7, one person was killed and eight were injured, while in an attack on October 8, an airline pilot and two other Saudi citizens were killed. Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority said an attack on Abha International Airport on October 7 killed two people and injured 28. The Houthis have also attacked King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an industrial city on the Gulf coast, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan in the south, and Najran Airport. Official sources said three people were injured in an attack on Jazan Airport on October 6, while an attack on Najran Airport the same day caused minor injuries. The Houthis are targeting civilian airports to increase pressure on the Saudi government. Hisham Al-Omaisi, a conflict analyst at the European Institute of Peace, told Al Jazeera that the Houthis are a group that will do anything to achieve what they want. He noted that stopping attacks on civilian airports is not something in their thinking and that one reason they continue attacks is that attacking such places increases public attention. He also said it is believed attacks will expand to oil pipelines and energy facilities. The main aim of these attacks is to obtain more concessions from Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis believe attacking Saudi Arabia’s main economic arteries will increase their power at the negotiating table. The attacks have created major obstacles for international air travel. German airline Lufthansa has cancelled all flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France-KLM has suspended flights until the end of this month. Britain, France and Germany have warned their citizens not to travel to Riyadh. Riyadh’s airport is the second busiest airport in Saudi Arabia, and having to suspend its operations is a major loss to the economy. The disruption comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is holding major conferences related to energy and investment. As the World Petroleum Congress is underway, the Future Investment Initiative is scheduled to be held from October 26 to 29. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said Saudi Arabia will give a strong response to these attacks. Saudi Arabia, preparing to host the 2032 FIFA World Cup, has seen its efforts to present itself as a safe destination undermined by these attacks. In response to the Houthi attacks, Yemeni government forces allied with Saudi Arabia are carrying out airstrikes on areas under Houthi control. They have attacked areas controlled by the Houthis in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, and Hodeidah International Airport on the Red Sea coast. Earlier, on July 13, the Saudi coalition also attacked the runway of Sanaa Airport. Yemen’s government has said at the UN that attacks on Houthi-controlled airports are because those places are used for transporting Houthi delegations between Iran and Yemen and for landing Iranian flights. As tensions increase, both sides are fighting fiercely for control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This is an alternative route important for oil tankers, following Iran’s attacks on the Strait of Hormuz. Investors are raising questions about the impact this war will have on the regional economy and the global oil market.