Saudi Arabia has confirmed that Yemen’s Houthi rebels attempted to strike Riyadh with a ballistic missile, in the first such attack on the capital since the recent escalation in hostilities. Saudi air defences intercepted the missile, and no casualties or damage were reported.

The attempted strike triggered emergency alerts across Riyadh and disrupted operations at King Khalid International Airport, where smoke was seen near the site and several flights were delayed or cancelled.

What happened in Riyadh

According to the Saudi-led coalition, the missile targeting Riyadh was intercepted early on Saturday. The coalition said additional attempted attacks on Yanbu, Taif, Baysh, and Farasan were also thwarted.

The Houthis claimed responsibility, asserting they had targeted sensitive sites in Riyadh and Saudi oil infrastructure, though these claims could not be independently verified. Residents near the airport reported hearing explosions and seeing plumes of smoke.

Flights disrupted across the region

Flight tracking data showed Riyadh’s airport facing major disruption, with knock-on effects for services to and from Dubai and Sharjah as schedules unravelled. Saudi authorities issued a hostile aerial threat warning and activated emergency protocols, the first such alert in the capital since the conflict intensified.

The incident underlined the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure to the ongoing conflict between Saudi forces and the Iran-backed Houthis.

Etihad cancels Delhi-Abu Dhabi flight

Separately, Etihad Airways cancelled flight EY217 from Delhi to Abu Dhabi on Saturday night after a technical fault was discovered on the aircraft shortly before departure. Around 200 passengers who had already boarded were asked to deboard at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The flight had been scheduled to depart at 9:15 pm and was to be operated by a Boeing 787-9. After waiting for several hours, passengers were told the service would not operate. Available reporting does not connect the cancellation to the events in Saudi Arabia; the airline attributed it to the technical issue, the exact nature of which was not disclosed.