Saudi Airport Attacks Prompt Travel Warnings From Seven Countries

Seven countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, have warned their citizens against travelling to Saudi Arabia following a series of attacks on airports across the kingdom, four of which the Houthis claimed responsibility for.

Australia and New Zealand issued their advisories on Monday, with recommendations ranging from avoiding specific airports and provinces to cancelling non-essential travel to the kingdom.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has advised Australians to stay away from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and “reconsider” travel to other airports in Saudi Arabia.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has urged its citizens not to travel to Riyadh’s main airport or the provinces of Najran, Jazan and Asir for any reason. It has also recommended avoiding “non-essential” travel to the kingdom as a whole.

The US embassy in Riyadh issued its advisory on Sunday, asking American citizens to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia because of the threat of attacks by Iran and the Iranian-backed Houthis. Global Affairs Canada has warned against non-essential travel to any part of the kingdom.

South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended that its citizens in Saudi Arabia leave unless they are there for essential business. It has also advised those planning to visit the country to cancel their trips.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has urged citizens to avoid travel to Jeddah and Dammam, and to all airports except Medina International Airport, unless travelling for essential reasons.

Saudi Arabia has faced five attacks on its airports in less than a week, Al Jazeera reported. The country’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said one person was killed and 11 others injured on Sunday when a projectile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

The attack followed a strike on the same airport on Saturday that killed 13 people and injured more than 300 others. The incident was the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for all four attacks on Saudi airports before Sunday’s strike. No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, Al Jazeera reported.

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam remain closed following the attacks, while flights to and from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah have also been disrupted.

Data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed that more than 150 flights were cancelled and 374 delayed at Jeddah airport on Sunday.

The longer-term impact on regional and international aviation remains uncertain. Brendan Sobie, an independent aviation analyst and consultant based in Singapore, said the consequences would depend on how long the crisis continued, how long Riyadh airport remained closed and what restrictions were imposed after it reopened.

“As has been the case with the Iran war and the impact from that crisis on the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain, the impact of this latest crisis really depends on how long it lasts, how long Riyadh airport remains closed, and how long and to what extent are the restrictions once it reopens,” Sobie told Al Jazeera.