The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh has issued a security alert advising U.S. citizens to ‘take extreme caution’ if they choose to use airports in Saudi Arabia, and noting that the Department of State ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members to leave Saudi Arabia effective October 23, 2026.
The alert cites Iranian-supported Houthis engaging in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure that have resulted in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions, and warns the situation has the potential to escalate rapidly beyond the immediate area.
U.S. Embassy Riyadh guidance and restrictions
U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia require special authorization from the Chief of Mission to use any airport in Saudi Arabia following recent missile and UAV attacks on airports in the Kingdom.
King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh announced a partial reopening as of October 25 for domestic flights and some international flights operated by national carriers. A limited number of flights normally based at RUH are operating out of Qassim-based Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport (ELQ).
Operations at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah (JED) and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam (DMM) are operational with some delays and cancellations.
The Embassy warns U.S. citizens to be aware of potential attacks on airports, airspace closures, flight cancellations, and travel disruptions, and reiterates to ‘take extreme caution’ if choosing to use airports in Saudi Arabia. It recommends checking flight departure status directly with the airline and with the airport. The Embassy’s full security alert is available online.
As of publishing time (October 25), WWE Crown Jewel is still scheduled to take place on November 7 in Riyadh.
