Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia: group claims strikes on Riyadh, Dammam airports and refineries

Yemen’s Houthi movement says it launched six missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia on Thursday, 29 October, aiming at two international airports, three oil refineries and a military headquarters. The Saudi-led coalition says its air defences shot down ballistic missiles fired towards Riyadh and the Eastern Province. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed any damage.

This follows our report on the Houthi threat to Makkah and Madina earlier this week. What is new: a fresh wave of strikes, this time aimed at oil facilities as well as airports.

What did the Houthis say they hit?

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree listed the targets:

• King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh: several ballistic missiles
• King Fahd International Airport, Dammam: a drone, which the group claimed disrupted air traffic
• Ras Tanura refinery and Aramco’s Abqaiq facility in the Eastern Province: ballistic missiles
• Rabigh refinery on the Red Sea coast: a ballistic missile
• Saudi forces’ headquarters in Najran: the group claimed casualties, which nobody else has confirmed

Saree said the attacks were revenge for recent Saudi air strikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen, which the group says killed 27 people.

What does Saudi Arabia say?

The coalition said its air defences intercepted three ballistic missiles earlier on Thursday, two heading for Riyadh and one for the Eastern Province, and two more aimed at Riyadh in the evening. It has not commented on the refinery claims or on any damage at Dammam. Until Saudi authorities say more, the Houthi list should be read as claims, not confirmed hits.

Why it matters for Pakistanis

Saudi Arabia is home to the largest group of Pakistani workers abroad, and both Riyadh and Dammam have daily flights to and from Pakistani cities. The danger is not abstract. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said earlier this month that a Pakistani national was killed and others were injured when the Houthis struck Riyadh airport around 10 October, an attack Saudi authorities said killed 12 people.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned that attack and pointed to Pakistan’s defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan was in close contact with Saudi authorities.

If you or your family are flying to or from Riyadh or Dammam in the coming days:

• Check your flight status with the airline before leaving home, not only at the airport.
• Keep the Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh’s or the Consulate in Jeddah’s official contact details saved on your phone.
• Follow Saudi civil defence instructions if sirens sound, and avoid sharing unverified videos of strikes, which often turn out to be old.

What happens next

The attacks came in the same week as rare high-level talks between Saudi and Iranian officials in Tehran, a meeting that had raised hopes of calmer days. Whether Riyadh answers with more air strikes in Yemen, and whether Pakistan issues a fresh statement, are the two things to watch today.