Deadly attacks on Riyadh's main airport have triggered a major update to UK travel advice for Saudi Arabia. A strike claimed by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis killed 13 people, and a further attack on King Khalid International Airport the next day killed one more, with at least 300 injured across the weekend's incidents. The UK Foreign Office now advises against all but essential travel to every airport in the country except Medina International.
The escalation stems from renewed fighting that began in July between the Houthis and the Saudi and Yemeni governments. The FCDO says further attacks on airports are "very likely", with a heightened threat also hanging over military bases, ports, energy infrastructure and Red Sea shipping. Beyond the airports, the advice covers Riyadh province, Aseer, Najran and Jizan provinces, and the cities of Taif, Jeddah and Dammam — places that normally draw plenty of business and leisure visitors. All travel within 10km of the Yemen border remains firmly advised against.
For anyone caught in the country, the Foreign Office suggests land routes out as an alternative to flying: driving to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE or Jordan and flying from there. That means sorting entry paperwork in advance, ensuring a car is wholly owned and registered in your name, and carrying emergency supplies and essential medication. Travellers should also expect flight cancellations and periodic airspace closures, and the greatest immediate risk during any attack is falling debris from intercepted missiles — so an interior stairwell or a room with few external walls is the safest spot.
The US has issued its own warnings: a level three "reconsider travel" advisory for the country as a whole, a level four "do not travel" for the Saudi-Yemen border, and a specific warning to avoid King Khalid airport and its surroundings.
If you have a trip booked, the practical picture is this: because the FCDO advises against all but essential travel in the affected areas, package holiday customers may be able to cancel for a full refund under the 2018 Package Travel Regulations if there's been a significant change at the destination. Talk to your provider first. Crucially, travelling against FCDO advice can invalidate your insurance entirely — a risky bet when the government explicitly says more airport attacks are likely. Anyone in the region should sign up for FCDO email alerts, follow Saudi Civil Defence channels, and avoid photographing or sharing conflict-related incidents.
