The key facts
- The Russian Embassy advises refraining from travel to Saudi Arabia until air service is restored; no evacuation is planned
- In October, the Houthis attacked King Khalid International Airport five times; the October 10 attack was the most destructive since 2015: 18 killed, at least 300 wounded
- Riyadh airport is closed until October 17 and handles 29% of the country's passenger air traffic
Embassy recommendations
The Russian Embassy in Saudi Arabia recommended that Russian citizens refrain from traveling to the kingdom until air service is restored. The diplomatic mission announced this in an interview with the Izvestia publication. According to the embassy staff, the main difficulties are related to the temporary suspension of Riyadh airport operations and disruptions at several major airports in the country. If necessary, citizens are advised to use airports in other cities of Saudi Arabia or in neighboring countries.
No evacuation planned
The Embassy also reported that no evacuation of Russian citizens is planned. The diplomatic mission justified this by the absence of an immediate security threat to citizens.
Attacks on the airport and its closure
According to the cited data, in October the Houthis carried out five major air attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The October 10 attack is recorded as the most destructive since 2015: 18 people were killed and at least 300 were wounded. After that, Saudi Arabia closed the airport until October 17, and airlines canceled a number of flights. On October 14, it was reported that the airport had come under attack again.
Significance of the airport
King Khalid International Airport handles 29 percent of all passenger air traffic in Saudi Arabia.
