Several countries have advised their citizens against travel to Saudi Arabia following a series of attacks on the kingdom’s airports attributed to the Houthis.
On Monday, Australia and New Zealand joined earlier advisories issued by the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Japan.
Australia’s foreign affairs department recommended that citizens avoid King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and reconsider travel to other Saudi airports. New Zealand’s ministry urged people not to travel to the Saudi capital’s main airport or the provinces of Najran, Jazan and Asir for any reason, and to avoid non-essential travel to the kingdom overall.
The US embassy in Riyadh advised American citizens on Sunday to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia, citing threats from Iran and the Iranian-backed Houthis. Canada issued a warning against non-essential travel to any part of the country. South Korea recommended that its citizens currently in Saudi Arabia leave unless on essential business and that those planning trips cancel them. The UK advised against travel to Jeddah and Dammam, and to all airports except Medina International Airport, except for essential reasons.
The warnings follow five attacks on Saudi airports in less than a week. On Sunday, a projectile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing one person and injuring 11, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities. A strike on the same airport the previous day killed 13 people and injured more than 300, described as the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the four earlier strikes; the Sunday attack has not yet been claimed by any group.
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King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam remain closed, causing significant disruption to aviation across the Middle East. Flights to and from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah have also been affected, with more than 150 cancellations and 374 delays reported on Sunday.
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