Global Travel Warnings Issued for Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Houthi Airport Attacks

Smoke and flames rise from King Khalid international airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 8, 2026 [Social Media via Reuters]. Multiple nations have issued urgent travel advisories cautioning their citizens against visiting Saudi Arabia following a dangerous wave of Houthi attacks targeting airports throughout the kingdom.

On Monday, Australia and New Zealand joined a growing list of countries—including the United States, Canada, the UK, South Korea, and Japan—urging caution. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advised citizens to steer clear of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and to reconsider travel to other Saudi airports. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade recommended avoiding the Saudi capital’s main gateway and the provinces of Najran, Jazan, and Asir entirely, while advising against non-essential travel to the rest of Saudi Arabia.

The US embassy in Riyadh released an advisory on Sunday encouraging US citizens to reconsider journeys to the kingdom due to threats posed by Iran and Iranian-backed Houthis. Global Affairs Canada also advised against all non-essential trips to any part of Saudi Arabia. In South Korea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged nationals currently in Saudi Arabia to depart unless engaged in essential business, while advising others to cancel upcoming travel plans. Additionally, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office recommended avoiding travel to Jeddah, Dammam, and all airports except Medina International Airport, barring essential circumstances.

These widespread warnings follow a devastating sequence of five attacks on Saudi airports in under a week. According to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), one person died and 11 others sustained injuries on Sunday when a projectile struck King Khalid International Airport. A separate Houthi strike on the same facility on Saturday resulted in 13 deaths and over 300 injuries, representing the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than ten years.

While the Houthis claimed responsibility for four of the recent strikes, Sunday's attack has not yet been claimed by any faction. Major hubs including King Khalid international airport and King Fahd international airport in Dammam remain shut down, severely disrupting regional aviation. The unrest has also heavily impacted King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, where flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported over 150 cancellations and 374 delays on Sunday alone.

Brendan Sobie, an independent analyst and consultant based in Singapore, noted that it remains premature to gauge the full extent of the fallout for aviation in the region and beyond. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Sobie explained that the broader consequences will hinge on the duration of the crisis, how long Riyadh airport stays closed, and the nature of any restrictions put in place once operations resume.