Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia: an attack on the vision of bin Salman

Houthi rocket strikes have killed at least eighteen people and injured more than three hundred others at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh since early October, according to official figures. The attacks have shattered the image of stability that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seeks to project under his Vision 2030 plan. Surveillance footage captured the chaos inside the terminal, showing Muslim pilgrims queuing before a sudden explosion filled the screen with blinding light. Thick smoke obscured the view, and individuals were seen collapsing near the edges of the frame before the recording ended. These images stand in sharp contrast to the crown prince’s goal of opening Saudi Arabia to tourists, investors, and international mega-events while guaranteeing security for residents and foreigners alike. The violence represents a new escalation in a conflict that began in 2004 with a Houthi uprising against the Yemeni government. Saudi Arabia intervened directly in 2015, expanding the war. At that time, the twenty-nine-year-old bin Salman faced criticism for steering his country into a military adventure in its neighbor. Over the years, the war resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and forced millions to flee their homes. Nearly half of Yemen’s population still suffers from food insecurity. Although the situation appeared to calm down after 2022 due to war-weariness on all sides, the truce has collapsed. In July of this year, Saudi forces attacked the airport in Sanaa as a Houthi delegation arrived back from a trip to Iran, their closest ally. Since then, the Houthis have retaliated based on a principle of escalating airport-for-airport strikes, according to their spokesperson. They have expanded their influence zone to the entire western coast of Yemen and fight for control of the Bab al-Mandab strait, a vital waterway for global trade and specifically for Saudi Arabia. The recent wave of attacks targeted multiple sites within days. On October 10, rockets struck two terminals at King Khalid Airport, causing roofs to collapse and trapping travelers. Initial reports cited at least thirteen dead and over three hundred injured, many severely. Debris from intercepted missiles hit kindergartens and hospitals, prompting evacuations of schools and embassies. The following day, further strikes hit the airport again, killing one person and injuring eleven. Houthi rockets also targeted King Fahd Airport in Dammam on the Persian Gulf, along with a gas facility and a refinery belonging to the state oil company Saudi Aramco. These disruptions have severe economic implications. The World Oil Congress took place in Riyadh the day after the most devastating attack. German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche attended, having arrived before the initial strike. However, executives from Exxon, Shell, Total, and BP canceled their trips at the last minute. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright joined via video conference. Saudi authorities suggested guests arrive via Dammam, which was subsequently shelled. Consequently, attendees who did travel were picked up from smaller regional airports by the Saudi Ministry of Energy. A major blow to investment confidence came with the cancellation of the Future Investment Initiative, often described as Davos in the Desert. Scheduled for October 26 to 29 in Riyadh, the event was completely scrapped and postponed to next year. Sebastian Sons, an expert at the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient, noted that Saudi Arabia previously maintained diplomatic relations with Iran, which helped buffer the impact of Iranian attacks during the summer. He observed that alternative pipelines allowed the kingdom to bypass the Strait of Hormuz blockade earlier in the year. However, he stated the situation has become precarious, leaving Riyadh with few options. The Houthis claim responsibility for the attacks and boast about them, whereas the Saudi government appears less inclined to provide continuous updates to the public, potentially leading to unreported casualties. The conflict threatens to undermine the modernization efforts central to bin Salman’s rule. As the Houthis continue their campaign of terror in the neighboring kingdom, the vision of a safe and stable Saudi Arabia faces its greatest challenge yet. The immediate focus remains on securing critical infrastructure and managing the diplomatic fallout from the cancelled high-profile conferences.