Saudi aviation authorities on Monday extended the operational suspension of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh as military experts and forensic teams continue emergency damage assessments and security inspections. The capital city's primary international hub ground to a near-total halt after wave after wave of Houthi projectile attacks penetrated air defenses over recent days, with Terminal 4 suffering heavy damage. According to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Saturday's direct missile strike alone killed 12 people and injured 309, before a follow-up attack on Sunday claimed another life and injured 11 more. Flight tracking data indicated that over 99% of scheduled traffic into Riyadh was halted, diverting hundreds of international and domestic connections across the Arabian Peninsula.

The strikes represent the deadliest assault on Saudi soil in over a decade and the most destructive attack against a Gulf Arab country since hostilities sharply intensified across the region. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres vehemently condemned the barrage, emphasizing that deliberate targeting of civilians and commercial aviation facilities violates international humanitarian law and demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities. In Washington, President Donald Trump labeled the strikes 'terrible,' while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described them as 'reprehensible,' noting that American citizens were among the casualties inside the terminal. In response, Houthi military representatives declared that Riyadh's air hubs remain active military targets until Saudi-led air campaigns in Yemen halt permanently.

The protracted closure of Riyadh’s airspace carries sweeping geopolitical and economic ramifications, rattling global transit networks and shaking Gulf security guarantees. The crisis coincides with Riyadh attempting to project economic stability while hosting the 25th WPC Energy Conference, where Saudi officials insisted energy resilience remains intact despite the immediate physical danger. With Saudi air defenses under severe scrutiny and Western embassies issuing urgent travel alerts, defense analysts warn that the Riyadh airport paralysis could compel the Saudi-led coalition and the United States to launch extensive retaliatory strikes against command centers in Yemen, threatening to widen conflict lines across the Red Sea corridor.