# Riyadh shuts King Khalid airport after deadly missile strike blamed on Houthis

*Monday, October 12, 2026 at 6:06 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-10-12T18:06:44.406Z (2h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 9/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/20381.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: Saudi Arabia has closed King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh until at least October 17 after a missile attack attributed to Yemen’s Houthi movement killed 12 people and injured 309, according to Saudi aviation authorities.

Saudi Arabia has halted traffic through its main airport in the capital after a major missile strike.

Saudi authorities have shut King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh until at least October 17 following an attack attributed to Yemen’s Houthi movement. According to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, at least 12 people were killed and 309 were injured in the strike. The authority said the dead include four Saudi citizens.

The closure follows what Saudi officials describe as a missile attack on the airport. It comes amid intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi territory and repeated strikes on King Khalid International in recent days.

The decision to close the airport disrupts one of the region’s key aviation hubs. Airlines now have to reroute flights or suspend services into Riyadh, while passengers face cancellations and delays as a direct result of the missile threat.

For Saudi planners, shutting the airport underscores the difficulty of fully protecting critical infrastructure even with layered air defences. Each successful strike raises questions about the vulnerability of other strategic sites.

Regionally, the attack and the closure add to wider security concerns for air travel and investment in the Gulf.

The main points to watch now are how long the airport remains closed in practice, whether other Saudi airports come under similar attack, and what additional air‑defence or diplomatic steps Riyadh takes in response.