Closure of Riyadh airport extended after deadly Houthi strikes

Saudi authorities announced on Monday that the suspension of operations at the international airport in Riyadh would be prolonged following deadly weekend assaults carried out by Yemeni Houthis aligned with Iran. King Khalid International Airport, the second-busiest airport in Saudi Arabia after Jeddah, had been closed since a weekend attack that claimed 13 lives and left over 300 injured, the worst incident in the country in over a decade.

Sunday's strike cost one Pakistani life and left nearly a dozen others wounded. The assaults represent one of the most severe disruptions to Saudi aviation in recent years, exacerbating challenges faced by an industry already strained by regional conflicts. Sunday saw 99.7 percent of scheduled flights canceled, with no aircraft detected over the city via air traffic trackers.

Airlines across Europe and Asia suspended services, while the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration advised carriers to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia. Major carriers such as Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM extended their respective suspensions until October 16 and the end of the month, respectively. Etihad Airways among others further extended Saudi flight cancellations, affecting around 20 flights to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam on Monday and Tuesday.

The expanding conflict with the Houthis has sparked worries over the potential economic fallout. Saudi Arabia's real gross domestic product is forecast to decline by 3.6 percent this year due to a mix of factors including reduced oil activity. The attacks have placed additional strain on events scheduled for the month in Riyadh, including the country's leading investment conference and the WPC Energy Congress, where several prominent oil executives were removed from the agenda.