Saudi Civil Defense issued aerial-threat alerts for Riyadh and the nearby city of Al-Kharj on Saturday before later declaring the danger over.
Saudi authorities said the capital faced a hostile aerial threat. Witnesses reported hearing explosions in Riyadh, while flames and a large plume of thick black smoke were also seen near King Khalid International Airport.
Reuters reported that the immediate cause of the fire and smoke near the airport was unclear and that there was no immediate Saudi government explanation for that specific incident. It therefore remains unconfirmed that the airport itself was directly struck.
Yemen's Houthis said they had launched missile and drone attacks on “sensitive” targets in Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a missile heading toward the capital and thwarted other attacks. The Houthis also claimed to have targeted a major Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu on the Red Sea, though all details of that claim were not independently verified.
The group has intensified missile and drone attacks against Saudi cities and infrastructure in recent weeks. In July, the Houthis also announced a naval blockade targeting Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea, heightening concern over security around the Bab al-Mandab shipping route.
Pressure has also increased on Saudi Arabia's alternative energy-export routes. On September 11, the kingdom's East-West oil pipeline was temporarily shut after drone attacks. Saudi Arabia attributed those drones to attacks launched from Iraq, so that incident should not be directly attributed to the Houthis.
The escalation comes as the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab remain critical routes for global oil and trade. Prolonged disruption to these waterways or to Saudi energy infrastructure could add pressure to global markets and oil-importing economies.
The situation remains fast-moving. The latest incidents near Riyadh have increased concern about a broader regional escalation, but it is not yet possible to determine how far the confrontation may spread.