One of Riyadh's most recognisable buildings, the 99-storey Kingdom Centre tower, has told all office tenants to work from home until further notice. Management gave no explanation in its email to tenants, but the order lands a week after a major Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport that killed 13 people. The mall at the tower's base remains open for now.
The tenant list alone shows how serious this is for the business world: Merrill Lynch, McKinsey and the IMF all occupy offices in the skyscraper. Schools in the capital have also extended remote learning, and Riyadh's international airport is still shut after the strike — a huge disruption for anyone flying in or out of the country.
The conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Houthis has reignited after an uneasy four-year truce. On the same weekend, the coalition confirmed that two pilots died when an AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter crashed in the southern Najran region near the Yemen border, blaming a technical malfunction. The Houthis claimed they shot down an Apache helicopter in the same area — a claim Riyadh disputes.
The wider picture is escalating fast. Saudi air defences intercepted two drones over Riyadh and one over the Eastern Province overnight, plus two ballistic missiles in the south. Saudi strikes reportedly killed 12 people in Yemen, including three children. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, seized Red Sea coastal territory and gained ground near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the chokepoint that carries much of the world's shipping between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal. They have already targeted oil facilities, Red Sea tankers and the capital's airport. Egypt is weighing in too — President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has asked parliament to authorise defensive support for Saudi Arabia, with an emergency session set for Sunday.
For travellers, this is a clear signal to hold off on trips to Saudi Arabia and monitor official advisories closely. With Riyadh's main airport closed and flights disrupted, anyone with bookings to the kingdom should contact their airline and check their government's latest travel warnings. Red Sea cruise and shipping itineraries may also face disruption given the maritime situation.
