Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority has extended a suspension of operations at Riyadh’s international airport following a series of deadly attacks by Houthi rebels over the weekend. The kingdom has not provided a specific timeline for when normal operations will resume. The attacks, attributed to the Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels, have prompted heightened security measures for Saudi leadership, with reports indicating that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been moving between secure, bunker-equipped locations.

The effectiveness of Saudi Arabia’s defense strategy has come under scrutiny following these incidents. While the kingdom maintains one of the most well-funded militaries globally—allocating approximately $83 billion, or 6.5% of its GDP, toward defense in 2025—reports suggest it is currently struggling to repel the Houthi offensive. Specifically, there are reports that Saudi Arabia is facing a critical shortage of interceptor missiles required to neutralize incoming threats.

While France24 and the Times of Israel focus on the immediate operational impact and the security status of Saudi leadership, NDTV highlights the broader context of the kingdom's military expenditure. The sources agree that the attacks are originating from Houthi rebels aligned with Iran, but they differ on whether the primary issue is a lack of hardware or a broader failure in military strategy. No source has provided an official statement from the Houthi leadership regarding their specific objectives for these recent strikes.