Saudi warning system stayed silent before deadly airport attacks

Saudi Arabia ceased issuing public alerts of impending military assaults days prior to a series of deadly strikes at Riyadh airport, resulting in at least 18 fatalities and over 300 injuries. The government has yet to explain why no warnings were disseminated. Public warnings had previously been effective in maintaining a sense of security among the citizens and the international community during the ongoing war with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.

The absence of such alerts during the recent attacks has raised concerns about the kingdom's vulnerability and capacity to safeguard its residents and visitors.

A US-based Saudi academic, Sultan Alamer, explained that the Saudi government is attempting to have it both ways - launching military operations while simultaneously trying to maintain the population's confidence and external stakeholder's trust. The Saudi civil defense agency, responsible for early warning alerts, and the government media office did not respond to inquiries about the non-issuance of alerts.

Following the attacks, the Saudi civil defense authority issued its initial alerts since September 29, warning of potential threats in Riyadh and southern cities. However, it remains unclear whether the recent decision to issue alerts was a direct response to the airport attacks. Gulf countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, have issued public warnings, such as mobile phone alerts, sirens, and guidelines, in response to Iranian drone and missile strikes.

Saudi Arabia started issuing threat alerts via a national early warning system in May, but the system went silent during the attacks.

The Saudi government has been facing criticism for its handling of public warnings. A former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Michael Ratney, stated that the government is attempting to balance public messaging with the need to prevent societal disruption. Despite no public alerts being issued this month until Monday, Riyadh has been attacked approximately a dozen times, with Western embassies issuing internal missile and drone alerts to staff.