On 18 May 2024 a missile struck Riyadh International Airport. The Houthi militia claimed responsibility for firing the rocket, though Saudi officials did not formally name them. The civil aviation authority reported that the attack caused at least twelve fatalities and three hundred and nine injuries.
Among those killed were four Saudi nationals and eight foreigners. The foreign victims held passports from the United States, Bangladesh, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Sudan. The total number of injured people reached three hundred and nine.
🇸🇦🇺🇸A US citizen is DEAD after Saudi airport attack 12 lives lost, over 300 wounded and counting… King Khalid Airport in Riyadh is in total CARNAGE. Officials insist the conflict is "contained," while ballistic missiles flatten civilian departure lounges and KILL travelers from nine other nations. This isn't distant crossfire anymore, it's a full-scale international inferno. Writer: Bri https://t.co/eBvPg9qvO0
On 16 May 2024 a prior attack on the same airport resulted in three fatalities, occurring just two days before the Saturday strike and underscoring the airport's repeated targeting.
In reaction, several Western governments, including Germany, advised their citizens to avoid using the facility.
The strike takes place amid the wider Yemen conflict, where a Saudi‑led coalition backs the internationally recognised Yemeni government while facing Iran‑aligned Houthi forces. The attack occurs within this ongoing confrontation.
The Houthi militia in Yemen announced that it had fired the rocket that hit the airport. Saudi authorities have not issued an official confirmation naming the group, even as the claim circulates.
Following the missile hit, Saudi civil aviation authorities suspended flight operations at the airport. In reaction, several Western governments, including Germany, advised their citizens to avoid using the facility.
Germany's position on the incident is neutral, neither endorsing nor condemning any side while issuing the travel advisory.
Saudi Arabia maintains a neutral framing of the incident, reflecting its official stance on the attack while managing the security fallout.
The Houthi militia has taken a critical stance, having openly claimed responsibility for the rocket strike.
Flight operations at the airport were suspended following the attack.
The suspension of flights and the travel advisory from Germany and other Western nations advised against using the airport.