Blast at Riyadh Airport Injures Several, Evacuations Underway
WHO:
CNN - Eyewitnesses reported multiple people injured in the blast at Riyadh’s international airport.
CNN - The Saudi government’s media office and the Saudi civil aviation authority did not respond to requests for comment.
CNN - Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis are involved in the missile strikes on the kingdom.
WHAT:
CNN - The airport has already been attacked twice this week, leaving four people dead and others wounded, and badly damaging an aircraft.
CNN - Organisers of the upcoming energy and investment conferences in Riyadh stated they would proceed as planned and sought to reassure attendees of their security.
CNN - A blast occurred at Riyadh’s international airport, injuring many people.
CNN - More than a dozen ambulances were seen responding to the airport.
CNN - All flights to Riyadh were either diverted or cancelled, according to flight-tracking site flightradar24.
CNN - Kuwait Airways cancelled flights to and from Riyadh due to the “security situation.”
CNN - Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled multiple flights to Riyadh, with some cancellations extending into Monday.
BBC News - Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks on the Riyadh airport.
WHERE:
CNN - The incident took place at Riyadh’s international airport in Saudi Arabia.
WHEN:
CNN - The blast occurred on a Saturday, with previous attacks on the airport reported earlier in the week.
WHY:
CNN - The Houthis declared Saudi airspace a zone of military operations after the Saudi-backed Yemeni government launched an offensive against the group earlier this month.
CNN - The blast comes amid an escalation of missile strikes by Yemen’s Houthis on Saudi Arabia.
CNN - The Houthis declared Saudi airspace a zone of military operations following an offensive by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
HOW:
CNN - Eyewitnesses reported seeing an explosion and multiple injured individuals on the ground inside the airport.
(UPDATED October 10, 2026 17:58 UTC)
The airport has faced two attacks this week, resulting in four fatalities and numerous injuries, along with significant damage to an aircraft. Despite the ongoing violence, organizers of the upcoming energy and investment conferences in Riyadh have confirmed that the events will proceed as planned and are working to ensure the safety of all attendees. This unrest follows the Houthis' declaration of Saudi airspace as a military operations zone in response to a recent offensive by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
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(UPDATED October 10, 2026 17:01 UTC)
A blast at Riyadh’s international airport has left multiple people injured, with eyewitnesses reporting the chaos as more than a dozen ambulances rushed to the scene. Flights to and from Riyadh have been significantly affected, with Kuwait Airways, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways canceling services due to the ongoing security situation. This incident follows an escalation of missile strikes by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, who have claimed responsibility for the attacks on the airport.