Saudi Civil Defence Resumes Threat Alerts After 18 Die in Riyadh Airport Strikes
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Oct 12
Saudi Civil Defence Resumes Threat Alerts After 18 Die in Riyadh Airport Strikes
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Oct 12
Summary
Saudi civil defence on Monday issued its first public threat alerts since Sept. 29, after four attacks on Riyadh airport in the past week killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 300.
No warnings were sent before the airport strikes, and Saudi authorities have not publicly explained the lapse; two officials said earlier Saudi responses cited complaints that nighttime alerts were too disruptive.
About a dozen attacks have hit Riyadh this month, according to two Western officials, while Western embassies kept sending their own internal missile and drone warnings based on shared intelligence and Saudi input.
The silence has raised questions about Saudi Arabia's ability to protect residents and visitors while preserving an image of normalcy during its war with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.
Regional peers have kept warning systems active—Qatar via phone alerts and Bahrain and Kuwait via sirens—highlighting Saudi Arabia's different balance between public reassurance and disruption.