Riyadh airport closes but travel continues to other Middle East destinations

Saudi authorities on Monday extended the suspension of operations at the international airport in the capital, Riyadh, after two deadly attacks over the weekend by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.For now the attacks are limited to Saudi Arabia and Yemen and travel is continuing without interference to other Middle East destinations, including neighbouring United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the popular Dubai holiday resort is located. Operations at King Khalid international airport, Saudi Arabia’s second-busiest airport after Jeddah, were suspended ​until next Saturday to “allow for the completion of procedures to ensure the safety and operational readiness of ​the airport’s facilities”, the Saudi civil aviation authority said in a statement.The airport has been shut since an attack on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded ​more than 300, including an Irish citizen, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade. On Sunday, another ​attack killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others.READ MOREIreland joined many other countries in issuing a travel warning for Saudi Arabia. Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said on Monday that Irish citizens should avoid travel to King Khalid airport, saying they should seek updates from their airline, monitor local media and follow official safety advice. Qatar Airways ​said on ‌Monday it ​had ​temporarily suspended flights ⁠to ​and from ​Riyadh and Dammam in ​Saudi ​Arabia.However, the conflict could escalate and president Trump said on Sunday that the US “may” join Saudi Arabia in its retaliation against the Houthis, promising that he would speak “shortly” with Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Such a scenario could trigger a wider regional conflict and lead to the Houthis targeting US targets and allies across the Middle East.Airports in Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Yemen have all been hit since the US and Israel attacked Iran in June 2025.Saudi Arabia’s energy minister has said there will be a “serious” response to the deadly attacks on the kingdom’s airports and oil and gas facilities.“The events of recent weeks are serious. Our response must be equally serious,” Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman told an energy conference in Riyadh on Monday.The Houthis said they were retaliating for what they say is a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in their territory, as well as an air strike on Sana’a airport that they blamed on the kingdom. They warned airlines to avoid Saudi airports, with the exception of the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina.