Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) - Explosions sounded in the Saudi capital on Tuesday, and the coalition led by Riyadh announced the interception of a missile launched by the Yemeni Houthis, who have been attacking Saudi Arabia for weeks on an almost daily basis.

Published on: 10/11/2026 - 12:15

AFP journalists heard explosions, while Riyadh residents received a text message alert on their phones asking them to take shelter due to an “air threat,” followed by another message from the Civil Defense Authority stating that the danger had passed.

The Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government reported on the “X” platform, “The air defense intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Riyadh.”

The coalition had previously stated that air defenses destroyed another ballistic missile that was heading towards the southern region during the night, in addition to a drone in the oil-rich eastern region.

In the wake of these attacks, many companies in the Kingdom adopted remote work, and students returned to studying online just two days after they returned to their schools, “in the context of continuing precautionary measures,” according to what parents told AFP based on a letter they received from educational institutions.

This measure was applied for the first time on October 11, following a bloody attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 14 people, injured hundreds, and led to the suspension of flights for two weeks.

Flights have since resumed on a limited basis, but air traffic across the kingdom remains at risk of further attacks, with the Iran-backed Houthis warning airlines that most Saudi airspace is “unsafe.”

In total, 26 people have been killed in Houthi attacks since last September, including 23 in attacks on Saudi airports.

A skyscraper was damaged

On Sunday, the financial district in Riyadh - one of the most prominent symbols of the ongoing economic and social reform process in the Kingdom - was targeted, resulting in damage to a skyscraper belonging to the giant oil company Aramco.

On Tuesday, the Saudi News Agency (SPA) published pictures of the building showing a large part of the glass facade destroyed in several layers close to the top of the tower.

"SPA" reported on Tuesday that the Deputy Governor of the Riyadh Region, Prince Muhammad bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, inspected "one of the civil administrative buildings belonging to the Saudi Aramco company in the city of Riyadh to determine the limited damage resulting from the sinful attack of the terrorist Houthi militia on civilian objects."

The Iran-backed Houthis also regularly target the oil infrastructure of Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of crude oil.

The East-West pipeline, which allows a large portion of the Kingdom's exports to bypass the obstacles of the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that Iran has largely closed since the start of the war between it and the United States, was targeted again on Monday in the Medina region in the west of the Kingdom.

The Ministry of Energy reported that a "limited fire" had occurred, confirming that operations through it would continue without interruption, unlike what happened last September, when a similar attack resulted in the disruption of the pipeline that transports 7 million barrels per day.

On the other hand, the Houthis say that Saudi Arabia is carrying out intensive raids on areas under their control in Yemen, accusing Riyadh of targeting civilians.

The most violent of these strikes, according to Houthi media and officials, was on Saturday, targeting the village of Al-Shariya in Sana'a Governorate, causing the death of 44 people, including 21 children, according to the Minister of Health in the Houthi authorities.

The Houthi-run Saba news agency reported on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia targeted Sanaa at dawn with “a series of raids.”

It quoted a local source as saying that the raids targeted “Al-Mafzar gas station in the Jadar area in the Bani Al-Harith district” in the north of the capital, Sana’a, and “the oil company building in the southern sixteen in Al-Wahda district” in the south of the capital.

The Houthi "Al-Masirah" channel reported that the strikes in the southern sixteen area resulted in "extensive damage to citizens' homes and shops."

The spokesman for the Houthi Ministry of Health and Environment, Anis Al-Asbahi, announced, "A citizen was martyred and three others were injured."

Riyadh does not comment on these reports.

In parallel, the intensity of fighting on the ground between Houthi fighters and government forces supported by Riyadh is escalating.

As a result of the war in the Middle East, a truce that had been in effect in Yemen since 2022 collapsed in July.

Battles resumed between the two sides, and the Houthis achieved progress on the ground, taking control of the western coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait region, whose importance to Riyadh increased in exporting oil after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

In early October, the Yemeni government, with Riyadh's support, began a counterattack to regain areas controlled by the Houthis.

© 2026 AFP

The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.