Stories
Saudi Warning System Stayed Silent Before Deadly Airport Strikes
N
News18•13-10-2026, 06:34
Saudi Warning System Stayed Silent Before Deadly Airport Strikes
- •Saudi Arabia stopped issuing public warnings of imminent attacks days before deadly strikes hit Riyadh international airport.
- •The recent attacks have killed at least 18 people and wounded over 300, raising serious security questions.
- •Officials reportedly told a Western government that the alerts were stopped because warnings were disruptive and residents complained about being woken up at night.
- •Analysts warn that the lack of public alerts creates the very anxiety and nervousness the authorities are trying to avoid.
- •Saudi Arabia also faces challenges with a vast territory and limited air defense systems to protect critical infrastructure simultaneously.
Key Questions Answered
Saudi authorities reportedly stopped issuing public alerts because they considered the warnings disruptive after receiving resident complaints about being woken up at night.
Following the attacks by Houthi rebels, approximately 1,500 flights were cancelled across major airports including Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam over a two-day period.
The final public alert before the airport attacks was issued on September 29 for the southern province of Najran via the civil defence authority's X account.
