Rare air raid alerts were issued in the capital Riyadh early Saturday after explosions were heard in the city, amid an intensifying campaign of drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group.
The Saudi Civil Defence warned residents of a "hostile aerial threat" and advised them to remain indoors and follow safety instructions. The alerts were later lifted after authorities declared that the danger had passed. No casualties or damage were immediately reported in Riyadh.
The alerts were issued in Riyadh and nearby Al-Kharj, while similar warnings were also sent to residents in several other parts of the kingdom, including Jeddah, Taif, Khamis Mushait, AlUla and the Farasan Islands. Saudi authorities did not immediately specify the nature of the threat.
The first Riyadh alert was issued at around 2:58 a.m. local time, with witnesses reporting at least two explosions. An all-clear was issued shortly afterwards. A second warning was later issued in Riyadh and Al-Kharj before the authorities again declared the danger over.
The warnings mark an escalation in the latest confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who have stepped up drone and missile attacks on Saudi cities and critical infrastructure in recent weeks.
The latest developments come after a Houthi drone attack in Taif on Thursday. Saudi authorities said debris from an intercepted drone killed a Yemeni resident and injured two others. Several buildings and vehicles were also damaged.
The Houthis have also expanded their operations along Yemen's Red Sea coast and announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi-linked vessels. The development has raised concerns over shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's key maritime routes.
The renewed attacks are also putting pressure on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure. Earlier this month, drones struck the kingdom's East-West oil pipeline, damaging pumping stations and temporarily disrupting operations around the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
The escalation has had wider implications for global energy markets, with disruptions to key shipping routes increasing concerns over crude supplies. Brent crude settled at $104.87 a barrel on Friday, while US West Texas Intermediate closed at $100.30, according to Reuters data cited by Moneycontrol.
The worsening conflict has also deepened the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The UN's International Organization for Migration has estimated that more than 112,000 people have been displaced inside the country, while nearly 3,000 others have crossed the Red Sea to Djibouti amid the renewed fighting.
The situation remains fluid, with Saudi authorities continuing to monitor the threat and urging residents to follow official safety instructions.
