The main air gateway of Saudi Arabia was again targeted by attacks on Sunday (11), a day after an offensive that killed 12 people and increased pressure on the region’s largest economy as the country prepares to host international events aimed at attracting foreign investment.
An unidentified projectile struck a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, causing a fire that mobilized emergency crews, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said.
Authorities did not release details about the extent of the damage or the origin of the attack. The coalition further said that air defense systems intercepted a missile near the same location in the capital, Riyadh.
The episode comes a day after the airport attack left more than 300 injured and resulted in the highest number of casualties in a single incident in Saudi Arabia since the start of the war involving Iran, at the end of February.
According to the coalition, the Saturday (10) offensive was carried out by the Houthis, an Iran-backed group in Yemen. The attack nearly paralyzed airport operations and led Riyadh’s financial district to adopt remote work indefinitely. Executives from companies such as BP and Shell also canceled participation in a major energy sector event scheduled for this week in the city.
Nevertheless, Saudi authorities indicated that the 25th World Petroleum Congress and related events, scheduled from Sunday to October 15, would be maintained. Also this month, Riyadh will host the Future Investment Initiative, the kingdom’s main investment conference.
The two meetings are expected to bring together industry and Wall Street leaders, including David Solomon, Chairman of Goldman Sachs, and Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock.
The Houthis captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and have since waged war against the Saudi-led coalition.
The Saturday attack came less than a week after forces backed by Riyadh began an offensive to retake areas controlled by the Houthis and to ‘eliminate’ the group. In recent months, the rebels have expanded their territorial control in Yemen, including areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most strategic trade routes.
The Saudi coalition described the airport attack as a “war crime on a large scale” and a “cowardly terrorist act”.
Among the dead were four Saudis, one Palestinian, two Bangladeshis and one person from each of the following countries: the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan, according to authorities.
The Houthis did not explicitly claim responsibility for Saturday’s attack, but subsequently released a statement warning that Saudi airports are military targets and advising staff and passengers to avoid the country’s airspace.
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