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Aaron Karp
October 11, 2026
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Credit: AFP via Getty Images
King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh was attacked again on Oct. 10, causing 12 fatalities, according to the Saudi Arabia General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).
The latest missile strike, widely attributed to the Houthi militia in Yemen, also caused 309 injuries, GACA said. Flights were suspended at RUH.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for two previous attacks on the Riyadh airport, including an Oct. 8 strike that killed three people and destroyed a Saudia aircraft on the tarmac. A Saudia pilot was among those killed. Another attack on RUH earlier in the week caused one death.
An additional strike during the week at Abha International Airport (AHB) in southwestern Saudi Arabia, for which the Houthis also claimed responsibility, caused three fatalities, according to GACA.
The Oct. 10 attack on RUH “caused property damage, the extent of which is currently being assessed,” GACA said.
The Oct. 10 strike drew widespread condemnation worldwide. “These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “They must stop now.”
A Houthi spokesperson said on Oct. 8 that “all global airlines” risked the “consequences of continuing to operate flights in Saudi airspace, which has become a theater for our military operations.”
