Houthis claim new strikes on Riyadh and Dammam; Greek foreign ministry advises against travel to Saudi Arabia

Greece’s foreign ministry advises Greek citizens to avoid travel to Saudi Arabia unless it is absolutely necessary. The advisory was issued on Sunday, October 11, the same day Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for a new series of attacks on the Riyadh and Dammam airports and on Aramco energy facilities.

What the foreign ministry asks of Greeks

According to the announcement, the ministry is taking into account the latest developments in the region and the restrictions imposed on Saudi airspace. Greeks already in the country are asked to stay in contact with the airline they will fly with, follow information from official sources and comply with the instructions of the local authorities.

In an emergency, or for further information, the Greek Embassy in Riyadh can be reached on +966 (0) 50 6090207 and at gremb.ria@mfa.gr.

Fire at Terminal 4 in Riyadh

Saudi authorities said that on Sunday an “unidentified projectile” hit Terminal 4 of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and started a fire, with an unspecified number of injuries. Saudi defenses intercepted a cruise missile in the airport area. The civil aviation authority said King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in the Eastern Province, was also attacked and that damage assessment is under way.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said their forces struck “in three phases” the Riyadh airport, a gas facility and a refinery of Aramco, and the Dammam airport. The Houthis warned airlines, workers and travelers not to use Saudi airports and airspace, with the exception of the airports of Mecca and Medina. They also claimed that Saudi Arabia carried out 124 air raids on Yemen within 24 hours. These are Houthi claims.

Third attack on the airport in a week

The new strikes came a day after Saturday’s attack on the same airport, in which, according to Saudi authorities, 12 people were killed and 309 injured. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, stressing that strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law. “These attacks must cease immediately,” he said, according to UN News. Russia’s foreign ministry also condemned the attack, calling on all parties to the conflicts on the Arabian Peninsula to refrain from targeting civilian infrastructure. Greece had already condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi airports at the UN.

The escalation is linked to the war in Yemen. The Yemeni government, backed by Saudi air strikes, launched a counteroffensive against the Houthis in early October; in September the Houthis had seized the port of Mokha and islands in the Bab al-Mandab strait. US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington is considering joining Saudi Arabia’s attacks on the Houthis.