RIYADH: Schools across Riyadh have shifted to remote learning for a week following a last-minute decision communicated to parents, according to messages seen by AFP.
Several schools informed parents on Sunday that they had been directed by Saudi authorities to keep schools closed throughout the week.
“We have just been informed by Saudi authorities that schools must remain closed all week,” two separate messages seen by AFP stated.
No official reason was immediately provided for the decision, which comes amid heightened regional tensions and a series of attacks targeting Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen.
Parents in Riyadh expressed concern over the lack of advance notice and information regarding the move.
“It’s a last-minute decision. We have no clue what’s happening,” a Lebanese expatriate living in Riyadh told AFP.
The announcement came a day after the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said it had intercepted drones and ballistic missiles targeting the kingdom.
The strikes were the latest in a series of Houthi attacks since July, when renewed hostilities ended a years-long truce and drew Yemen further into the wider Middle East conflict.
The United Nations Security Council has also condemned the escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying the strikes have wounded civilians, including women and children.