Smoke and flames seen near Riyadh airport after Saudi warning of aerial attack threat

A large plume of black smoke and visible flames appeared near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday evening, after Saudi authorities sent overnight mobile phone alerts warning residents of potential danger in the area surrounding the capital. Multiple residents reported hearing loud booms shortly before the smoke became visible across the city.

Reuters video footage and photographs showed a massive pillar of black smoke rising near the airport access road, with the main terminal building and other facilities visible in the foreground. At one point in the footage, flames could be seen rising from what appeared to be fuel storage tanks. A journalist for the news agency AFP present at the scene confirmed that the burning structure was a fuel tank bearing the logo of Saudi state oil giant Aramco, located at a fuel depot near the airport. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze.

Two residents of Riyadh told AFP separately that they had seen black smoke and fire in the direction of the airport, corroborating footage and reports circulated by other news outlets and local eyewitnesses who described a clearly visible plume over the city.

According to multiple news organizations, this marks the first time such an alert has been issued for the Saudi capital since the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi movement escalated again in July. The alerts were not limited to Riyadh; warnings were also sent for the cities of Jeddah and Yanbu. Yanbu is a major industrial port and home to significant oil infrastructure, suggesting the perceived threat may extend to key energy facilities in the country.

Flight operations at Riyadh airport were significantly disrupted as a result. Flight-tracking service FlightRadar24 recorded numerous delays and cancellations. Several international outlets described the disruptions as "major," though exact figures for affected flights were not specified.

The incident is the latest development in a months-long escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi movement in neighboring Yemen. Yemen's long-running civil war, which has continued for years, reportedly intensified again in recent months. At the same time, the global economy remains under pressure from a separate, nearly seven-month conflict between the United States and Iran, compounding the region's overall geopolitical tension.

At the time of reporting, no official information was available regarding casualties, the precise extent of damage, or the confirmed cause of the explosions. It also remained unclear whether the fire was the result of an attack or another cause. Saudi Arabia later issued an all-clear for the capital during the course of the day.

The events raise questions about how the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement will develop further, particularly regarding potential risks to Saudi oil infrastructure and international air travel. Observers will be watching closely in the coming days for further alerts or attacks, and how the Saudi government and its international partners respond.