The recent Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian airports, which have left a number of people dead or injured and caused the temporary closures of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, were intended by the Houthis to create a sense of discontent and panic among citizens and residents of the Kingdom. They hoped to use this to pressure the government and prompt it to cease its involvement in the military operations of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, thus stopping it striking Houthi targets inside Yemen.

Anyone observing the situation in Saudi Arabia calmly and objectively will find that the result was precisely the opposite of what the Houthis intended. The Saudi people regarded these acts as a direct attack against them and viewed them as terrorist operations, no different from those previously carried out by extremist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and Daesh. Instead of public demands for the government to stop supporting the legitimate government in Yemen, numerous voices spontaneously emerged in support of the official stance, declaring their readiness to defend the homeland and pay the price, however high, in order to neutralize the threat posed by the Houthis and permanently, rather than temporarily, put an end to the harm they inflict on the Kingdom.

The attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh brought to prominence the name of Abeer Abdullah Al-Ajmi, an airport employee who, rather than fleeing from the force of the explosion, remained calm and began helping and guiding people. This made her a national icon, with the local press and thousands of users across various social media platforms praising her actions and regarding her as an example of the strong Saudi woman.

During crises, when icons emerge spontaneously and genuinely, without seeking fame or money but rather through actions rooted in the values and morals with which they were raised, this contributes to strengthening the national identity and gives it even greater strength.

The Saudi people regarded these acts as a direct attack against them and viewed them as terrorist operations

Hassan Al-Mustafa

The terrorist attacks by the Houthi militia led to a temporary suspension of flights in Dammam and Riyadh, prompting the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a statement on X on Oct. 10, calling on “citizens whose flights were affected or who were unable to reach their destinations as a result of the suspension or delay of some flights bound for King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to contact Saudi missions in the countries where they are currently located in order to request assistance and receive the necessary guidance.” Saudi embassies and consulates in various countries quickly announced contact numbers, arranged buses and provided hotel accommodation, all at the government’s expense.

This care provided to Saudis unable to return to Riyadh due to the security situation prompted many of them to share accounts of what had happened to them on social media. In these stories, they spoke with pride of being Saudi and carrying a “green passport.” These stories drew responses from hundreds of citizens in the countries where Saudis had become stranded, who expressed their affection for Saudi Arabia and said that their homes and hearts were open to Saudi citizens in need of assistance.

In parallel, several government officials went to hospitals to visit those injured in the Houthi attacks. Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar, his deputy Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Diriyah Gov. Prince Rakan bin Salman and Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel all visited a number of the injured and conveyed to them the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This indicated that high-level directives had been issued to care for the victims.

This means that the government is not only fulfilling its political and military role in confronting the Houthi attacks but also its humanitarian and public service duty toward all those who suffered harm. It is not distinguishing between citizens and residents, with everyone receiving the same level of care.

These measures strengthened the unity among members of Saudi society and helped foster a discourse characterized by a degree of awareness — one that reinforces shared values and rejects divisive, sectarian or racist rhetoric. This is evidence of awareness because, during conflicts and wars, extremist or isolationist voices tend to grow louder. The overwhelming majority of Saudis display a calmer and more rational outlook, considering the battle against the Houthis to be aimed at protecting the Kingdom’s security and stability and safeguarding the achievements of Vision 2030. The objective is not to become embroiled in religious or sectarian conflicts; rather, the dispute is political, security-related and ideological, with an extremist, outlawed group threatening defenseless civilians.

As an example of building national solidarity, one can point to a recently published video of the late Saudi cleric Ali Al-Sayed Nasser Al-Salman, who died in January at the age of 89. Al-Salman was a prominent figure whose measured discourse emphasized the values of moderation, loyalty to the homeland and distancing oneself from extremism and sectarianism. The online newspaper Bshaer recently published a video of him, shown for the first time, in which he spoke candidly and spontaneously about the importance of maintaining security in the Kingdom, rallying around the leadership and the need for people to give thanks for the great blessings they enjoy. The video circulated widely on social media and received widespread acclaim, serving as an example of a broad Saudi consensus transcending sectarian and regional divides.

Politically, the Saudi Cabinet announced during its session on Tuesday that “the terrorist Houthi militia will bear the consequences of its crimes and recurrent, heinous attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s airports, Makkah, Madinah, visitors to the Two Holy Mosques, and civilian and economic facilities.” It also expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of these criminal assaults and wished the wounded a speedy recovery.

At the same time, the Cabinet praised the successful restoration of crude oil flows through the East-West Pipeline. It underscored that “this rapid restoration highlights the operational agility of the Kingdom’s energy sector.”

The Cabinet’s acknowledgment of the role played by the Saudi people, together with its pledge to defend them, their interests and their security, serves to further strengthen the Kingdom’s national spirit and give it greater momentum and cohesion, thereby thwarting any attempt to create a rift within Saudi society.

  • Hassan Al-Mustafa is a Saudi writer and researcher interested in Islamic movements, the development of religious discourse, and the relationship between Gulf Cooperation Council states and Iran.

    X: @Halmustafa