Saudi Arabia issued air raid alerts in its capital, Riyadh, early Saturday, warning residents of a potential “hostile serial threat.” The alerts were described by Reuters as the first such alerts for Riyadh since the Houthis intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia following the renewed fighting in Yemen.
Saudi Civil Defence later issued an all-clear, after the warning had been active in Riyadh and the nearby city of Al-Kharj, east of the capital.
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A Reuters journalist in Riyadh’s Olaya district said two loud booms were heard after the alerts were issued. AFP journalists also reported hearing two explosions in the city after residents received an alert shortly before 3 am local time, asking them to remain indoors.
The warning was lifted about 30 minutes later. Saudi Civil Defence later said the danger had passed in Riyadh and Al-Kharj and urged residents to continue following official safety instructions. Authorities did not immediately say what triggered the alert.
Escalation of Houthi Attacks
The Riyadh alerts came amid a major escalation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement, with the group carrying out attacks against Saudi territory and Saudi-linked interests. Reuters reported that the Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure.
Hours before the Riyadh alerts, the Houthis’ military spokesperson said that the group had thwarted unspecified “criminal attempts” in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, blamed Saudi Arabia and vowed a response. Reuters stated that there was no immediate comment from the Saudi government’s media office on that Houthi statement.
The Houthis recently seized control of the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island, a gateway to a key shipping route used by the Gulf state to export to Asia and Europe. The Iran-backed group’s military spokesman said the naval blockade was in retaliation for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-controlled north-western Yemen. Saudi vessels have relied on that stretch of the Red Sea for oil exports since the US and Israel’s war with Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
Humanitarian Situation In Yemen
The escalation has also triggered a major displacement crisis inside Yemen, with the UN migration agency reporting that at least 112,000 people had been displaced internally amid the renewed fighting. Nearly 3,000 people had also fled Yemen by sea to Djibouti, with many travelling in overcrowded boats with limited food and water, according to UN agencies cited by Reuters.
Saudi Arabi and USA
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler, has personally asked US President Donald Trump to take military action against the Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner.
Trump has so far declined to involve the US military directly, offering instead to assist with intelligence and targeting support, the sources said. A senior Trump administration official told the BBC: “We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen government regarding regional stability.”
The latest Riyadh alerts therefore come against the backdrop of a rapidly widening Saudi-Houthi confrontation, with cross-border attacks, Saudi airstrikes and continuous fighting along Yemen’s Red Sea coast raising broader security and humanitarian concerns.
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