Flames, Black Smoke Seen Near Riyadh Airport Amid Major Flight Disruption

Flames and thick black smoke were seen near Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, while residents in the Saudi capital reported hearing explosions.

Two residents said they saw smoke and flames rising from an area near the airport. One resident told AFP that they saw “black smoke and fire” in the direction of the airport.

The reports came after Saudi authorities issued an overnight air raid alert for Riyadh and the nearby city of Al-Kharj.

Flights Disrupted

The incident was accompanied by major disruption at King Khalid International Airport.

Aircraft-tracking website Flightradar24 reported cancellations and delays at the airport. It placed Riyadh airport at the maximum disruption index of 5.0, indicating major problems, including long delays and several cancelled flights.

The disruption followed the overnight alert issued by Saudi authorities as fighting involving Yemen’s Houthi movement intensified.

Hours after the initial alert, residents told AFP they heard what appeared to be another round of explosions in parts of Riyadh.

Cause Remains Unclear

The exact cause of the fire seen near the airport was not immediately established. AFP reported that the fire was seen in the vicinity of a fuel storage area. The report did not establish whether the flames were directly linked to an attack.

Saudi authorities had issued the overnight alert warning of a possible aerial threat before later lifting it. The alert was the first such warning in Riyadh since fighting in neighbouring Yemen escalated this month.

The incident came amid a wider escalation involving the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, with the Iran-aligned group having launched attacks towards the kingdom as tensions in the region have intensified.

Saudi Arabia has also carried out air strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen during the latest escalation.