October 25, 2026
On Saturday morning, the Saudi capital, Riyadh, witnessed a remarkable security development following the sound of two powerful explosions in its sky, coinciding with the activation of sirens and the issuance of official warnings of a “hostile air threat.”
Agence France-Presse (“Agence France-Presse”) reported that the two explosions were heard a few minutes after residents received urgent warnings through the Saudi Civil Defense calling on them to stay in homes and safe places away from windows and doors, before the warning was lifted a short time later. These alerts were not limited to the capital only, but also included the governorates of Wadi Al-Dawasir, south of Riyadh, and the Najran region, south of the Kingdom, under a state of maximum alert to repel air attacks.
In the same context, the Saudi authorities announced the success of the air defense forces in intercepting and destroying a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh, in conjunction with intercepting and shooting down another drone in the eastern region.
This attack comes in light of a noticeable escalation in Houthi attacks against Saudi territory during the month of October, which targeted several locations, including Riyadh Airport. A previous attack had targeted the airport on the 10th of the same month, killing 13 people and wounding hundreds, which raised serious fears of a widening circle of military escalation and the continued targeting of infrastructure and civilian areas in the Kingdom.
