Politics Saudi Arabia

Global Travel Warnings Surge After Deadly Saudi Airport Strikes

South Korea joined other nations in advising citizens to leave Saudi Arabia following a week of deadly Houthi attacks on airports. The violence has disrupted regional aviation and drawn concern from major powers including China and Iran.

By Published 3 min read
An illustration of an empty airport departures hall at dawn with silent check-in desks.
Illustration: AI-generated

The short version

  • South Korea recommended its citizens leave Saudi Arabia unless on essential business.
  • A strike on Saturday killed 13 people and injured more than 300 others at King Khalid International Airport.
  • King Khalid and King Fahd international airports remain closed, disrupting regional aviation.
  • China condemned the attacks and expressed serious concern over the intensifying conflict.
  • Iran urged dialogue to prevent war between two Islamic countries.

Why it matters: The advisories come as Riyadh reels from its deadliest violence in over a decade, threatening regional stability and causing significant aviation disruption across the Middle East.

On this page
  1. The short version
  2. Conflicting casualty reports
  3. Regional diplomatic response
  4. International condemnation
  5. Sources and further reading
  6. Frequently asked questions

South Korea joined a growing list of nations advising citizens to leave Saudi Arabia following a week of deadly Houthi attacks on airports.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended that its citizens in the kingdom leave unless they are on essential business. The ministry also advised anyone planning to travel to the country to cancel their trip.

On Monday, Australia and New Zealand joined other nations in warning against travel to Saudi Arabia. Their advisories echoed earlier cautions issued by Japan, South Korea, the UK, Canada, and the United States.

Saudi Arabia has suffered five airport strikes within a week. This violence represents a major escalation in the ongoing Yemen war.

  1. SaturdayDeadly strike A Houthi strike on King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and injured more than 300 others, marking the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
  2. SundaySecond attack One person was killed and 11 others were injured when a projectile struck King Khalid International Airport, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation.

The Houthis said they carried out four earlier strikes on Saudi airports before Sunday, but no group has claimed the latest incident.

King Khalid international airport and King Fahd international airport in Dammam remain closed after the attacks. The shutdown has heavily impacted Middle East aviation, while flights to and from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah have also been disrupted.

Flightradar24 reported that Sunday saw 374 delayed flights and over 150 cancellations at the Jeddah airport.

Conflicting casualty reports

Reports on the number of casualties from the Saturday attack vary between sources. Al Jazeera reported that 13 people were killed and more than 300 injured. PUNCH Online reported that 12 people had been killed and 309 others injured, citing the country's General Authority of Civil Aviation. Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack reportedly killed 12 civilians and left more than 300 people injured.

Regional diplomatic response

China condemned the attacks on Monday. Mao Ning, a China foreign ministry spokeswoman, said: "China condemns the attacks that caused heavy casualties and expresses serious concern over the intensification of the conflict".

Iran foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said: "We are deeply concerned about the developments taking place in the Arabian Peninsula", expressing deep concern over the escalating attacks.

The Houthis belong to the Axis of Resistance, which is backed by Iran. This network opposes Israel and includes Iraqi Shiite armed groups as well as Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Baqaei said Iran strongly opposes the continuation of war and hostilities between two Islamic nations. He called for dialogue and engagement to resolve the situation.

International condemnation

The Nigerian government denounced the Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that civilians were killed and dozens injured in the attack.

It is too early to predict the full ramifications for regional aviation.

Sources and further reading

  1. China condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, warns of escalation (opens in a new tab) Punch
  2. Iran ‘deeply concerned’ over escalation between Houthis, Saudi Arabia (opens in a new tab) Vanguard (Nigeria)
  3. China condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, warns of escalation (opens in a new tab) CNA
  4. China condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, warns of escalation (opens in a new tab) Free Malaysia Today
  5. Nigeria condemns fatal Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s airport (opens in a new tab) Premium Times
  6. Countries warn against travel to Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks (opens in a new tab) Al Jazeera

This article was prepared by the GlobePrism editorial team from the public reporting linked above. How we report

Frequently asked questions

Which countries have issued travel warnings for Saudi Arabia?

South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the UK and Japan have issued advisories against travelling to Saudi Arabia or recommended citizens leave the country.

How many people were killed in the Saturday airport attack?

Reports vary. Al Jazeera stated 13 people were killed, while PUNCH Online and Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported 12 deaths. More than 300 people were injured.

What is Iran's position on the conflict?

Iran expressed deep concern about the developments. A foreign ministry spokesman said Iran does not want war to continue between two Islamic countries and urged dialogue.

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