The Houthis’ deadly attack Saturday on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has exposed gaps in Saudi Arabia’s air defenses, despite the kingdom’s investment in advanced military systems.
At least 13 people died in the attack and hundreds were wounded, according to news accounts and regional officials cited by the Associated Press.
The breaches raise questions about the air defenses the kingdom fields to protect its cities, airports and oil facilities, as Iran-backed forces, including the Houthis, whom the United States designates as a terrorist organization, strike Saudi Arabia from several directions.
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said Monday at the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh: “The events of recent weeks are serious, and our response must be equally serious.”
Preliminary Saudi investigations indicate that the Houthis launched drones before firing cruise and ballistic missiles at King Khalid International Airport, according to the Associated Press.
Cruise missiles fly at low altitudes, making them harder to detect and track, while some modern ballistic missiles can maneuver in flight, complicating interception.
“The Houthis have honed tactics for overwhelming Saudi air defenses by using multiple systems, including surging drone attacks ahead of missile attacks to overwhelm Saudi air defenses,” Allison Miner, director of the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Integration Project, told MBN.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Houthis previously used saturation tactics against Israeli defenses in May 2025.
Saudi academic Khaled Batarfi told MBN no air-defense system could guarantee the interception of every threat. Low-flying targets can slip in under the radar, which can’t see past the curve of the Earth or behind hills and mountains, he said.
Money Isn’t Enough
Besides U.S.-made Patriots and THAAD air defense systems, the kingdom’s arsenal includes U.S.-made fighter jets and European weapons systems.
According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Saudi Arabia’s defense spending reached $83 billion last year, placing it among the world’s biggest military spenders.
Any assessment of Saudi defenses, retired Saudi Army Brig. Gen. Abdullah Ghanem Al-Qahtani said, should take into account the number of incoming projectiles intercepted, not just those that reached their targets.
Not Enough Interceptors
Saudi Arabia has used substantial quantities of its advanced defensive munitions during the war with Iran, further straining its ability to withstand repeated, concentrated attacks, analysts said.
The kingdom faces threats from three directions. From the east, Iran launched about 1,000 missiles and drones toward Saudi targets at the height of this year’s conflict, according to an estimate by CNN. From the north, Iran-backed militias in Iraq launched drones targeting the kingdom’s critical East-West oil pipeline. And from the south, the Houthis have battered Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones launched from hideouts and mobile launch sites in Yemen’s mountains.
Outside military support for the Houthis, particularly from Iran, is another factor.
A report by a United Nations panel of experts noted nearly two years ago that “the scale, nature and scope of the transfer of military equipment and technology to the Houthis from external sources, including financial support and training, was unprecedented.”
Al-Qahtani said the Houthis may also have acquired new weapons or adopted new tactics.
Size Matters
Saudi Arabia’s sheer size is another challenge for its air defenses. The kingdom covers about 2.2 million square kilometers and contains dozens of cities, airports, oil facilities and other critical infrastructure that require protection.
Then there is the apparent lack of early warning ahead of some attacks.
According to AP, Saudi investigators are examining why air-defense systems failed to provide early warning of the attack, which included missiles and drones that traveled more than 1,000 kilometers to reach Riyadh.
Reuters reported that Saudi authorities failed to issue any public warnings of imminent attacks before Houthi missiles slammed into the capital’s airport. The government has not explained why no warnings were issued.
Four Western and Arab officials in the region, along with political analysts, told the news agency that the absence of warnings during the attacks on the airport raised questions about Saudi defense vulnerabilities and the kingdom’s ability to protect residents and visitors.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
