Blast Reported at Riyadh Airport as Flights Are Diverted or Canceled

A loud blast was reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, October 10.

Passengers were evacuated from part of the airport, and flights bound for Riyadh were diverted or canceled.

More than a dozen ambulances were seen heading to the airport, according to witnesses and people briefed on the situation.

Saudi authorities had not publicly explained what caused the blast.

The incident comes amid increased missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group, and the airport had already been attacked twice that week; those attacks killed four people, injured others and badly damaged an aircraft.

Airlines including Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Kuwait Airways canceled some flights, and the airport advised passengers to check with their airlines before traveling.

Riyadh’s upcoming energy and investment conferences were still planned to go ahead, with organizers saying they were reassuring participants about security.