Smoke and flames were seen near Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, while residents reported hearing loud explosions hours after Saudi authorities issued an overnight warning of potential danger around the capital.
An AFP journalist reported that an Aramco fuel tank near the airport was on fire, with firefighters working to extinguish flames around the damaged structure. The Aramco logo was visible on the burnt fuel tank.
Two Riyadh residents also reported seeing black smoke and flames coming from the direction of the airport.
“In the direction of the airport we saw black smoke and fire,” one resident told AFP.
The incident coincided with significant disruption at King Khalid International Airport. Aircraft-tracking service FlightRadar24 placed the airport at its maximum disruption index of 5.0, indicating “major problems with long delays and several cancelled flights.”
The disruption followed an air-raid alert issued by Saudi authorities overnight — the first such warning for Riyadh since the latest escalation involving Yemen’s Houthis.
Several hours after the initial alert, residents told AFP they heard what appeared to be another series of explosions across parts of the capital.
One resident in central Riyadh described the experience as “terrifying”.
“I was extremely anxious — especially because, unlike previous times, the ‘all-clear’ signal didn’t come right away,” the resident said.
Another resident, 27, who lives in northern Riyadh, said: “I heard the alarm, then my windows shook. It was definitely scary. I was not expecting this.”
The developments come amid intensified fighting in Yemen, where the Houthis have made territorial gains this month as forces aligned with the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government attempt to halt their advance.
Saudi Arabia has carried out numerous air strikes against Houthi-held areas during the escalation.
Saudi authorities had not, at the time of the report, publicly identified the threat that prompted the overnight warnings or said whether the fire near the airport was caused by an attack.