Houthi strikes on Riyadh’s main airport and another attack on Dammam’s airport on Sunday have prompted multinational companies to send staff home, schools to close, and Western governments to issue travel warnings.
Houthi strikes on King Khalid International Airport killed 14 people, with foreign nationals among the victims, including citizens of the U.S., India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Sudan. The airport has been struck four times in five days and has been closed since Saturday. On Sunday the Houthis also hit King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, the main gateway for the Eastern Province’s expatriate community, causing delays and cancellations. After the explosions, several multinational firms in the King Abdullah Financial District told staff to work from home, and schools across Riyadh have moved to remote learning for a week.
Governments are tightening their advice. The U.K. now warns against all but essential travel to Jeddah and Dammam and to all Saudi airports except Medina’s and has suggested British citizens consider leaving overland. The U.S., Canada, and Germany have issued travel warnings, and some diplomatic missions have restricted staff use of the Riyadh airport. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has told U.S. airlines to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia, and several carriers have suspended Saudi flights. No major employer has yet confirmed a formal evacuation, but remote work, school closures, and the loss of the kingdom’s two main eastern and central air hubs are putting increasing pressure on assignee families.
IAM Member Impact: Members should prepare for short-notice requests to move expatriate dependents out of the kingdom, even where employees stay for now. They should also check that transit insurance terms cover conflict-related risks and expect corporate clients to postpone inbound assignments.
Source: Al Jazeera; CNN; CNBC