Smoke Rises Near Riyadh Airport Amid Houthi Escalation

A large plume of smoke was visible near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday after reports of booms were heard and Saudi Arabia issued alerts overnight warning of potential danger around the capital.

The alerts, sent by the Saudi civil defense via phone, warned of possible threats in Riyadh and Al-Kharj, a city east of the capital. However, an all-clear was issued shortly afterwards, and no immediate comment was provided by the Saudi government's media office regarding the smoke or overnight alerts.

This is not the first time such alerts have been sent to Riyadh this year, particularly since the escalation of attacks by Yemen's Houthi group in July. The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen and have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia, declared a naval blockade against Riyadh earlier this month.

The recent attacks have raised concerns about global oil supplies, as they target the main alternative Red Sea route for Gulf exports. According to reports, the Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated that the group had foiled 'criminal attempts' in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and vowed a response.