Flames and large plume of black smoke seen rising near Riyadh airport

Flames and large plume of black smoke seen rising near Riyadh airport. Skip to content Menu Home | Flames and large plume of black smoke seen rising near Riyadh airport Smoke seen from Riyadh airport Image Credits : Reuters Reuters 19 September 2026, 15:25 [SAST] A large plume of smoke was visible near Riyadh‘s main airport on Saturday after booms were heard and Saudi Arabia sent alerts overnight warning of potential danger around the capital, amid an escalation in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group.

What happened

Figure caption, Watch: Thick black plumes of smoke rise from near Riyadh's international airportByPatrick JacksonPublished19 September 2026, 14:09 BSTUpdated 9 minutes agoA column of black smoke has been seen near Riyadh's international airport hours after air raid alerts were issued in the Saudi capital. Reuters video and photographs showed a huge pillar of black smoke rising in the area, with the airport highway, main terminal building and other facilities in the foreground. How escalating Saudi oil crisis could drive up prices everywherePublished2 days agoSaudi Arabia issues first air raid alerts for Riyadh since Houthis escalated attacksPublished9 hours agoAn AFP journalist reported that firefighters could be seen trying to extinguish the flames of a burnt-out fuel tank belonging to state oil and gas company Aramco.

"In the direction of the airport we saw black smoke and fire," one resident told the agency. One report suggested a fuel tank had been set on fire near the airport. Saudi civil defense sent the alerts by phone overnight for potential danger in Riyadh. There was no immediate comment from the Saudi government’s media office in response to Reuters questions about the smoke and the overnight alerts.

The wider picture

Saudi civil defense sent the alerts by phone overnight for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, before issuing an all-clear on Saturday morning. A Reuters journalist in Riyadh‘s Olaya area heard booms before the all-clear was sent. Although some alerts had been issued in Riyadh this year after the start of the US-Iran war, these were the first since the escalation began with the Houthis in July.

The Houthis, who ⁠control ​the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, ​have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red ​Sea. A number of apparent explosions have since been heard in the capital and major problems reported at King Khalid International Airport, with the tracking website FlightRadar24 reporting long delays and cancellations. The group said the naval blockade was in retaliation for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-controlled north-western Yemen.

Related topicsRiyadhHouthis YemenMiddle EastSaudi ArabiaYemen crisisMore on this storySaudi Arabia says it shot down Houthi drone south of MeccaPublished3 days agoLightning Houthi advance in Yemen may bring dangerous new dimension to Iran warPublished11 SeptemberSatellite image reveals major damage that shut crucial Saudi oil pipelinePublished3 days ago The attacks have created new threats to global oil supplies, putting at risk the main alternative Red Sea route for Gulf exports while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded.

What has been reported

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What happens next

We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. It was the first time residents had been given an alert and urged to stay indoors since a recent escalation in the conflict with Iran-backed Houthi militants in neighbouring Yemen. There has been no official comment from Saudi authorities. Residents told AFP on condition of anonymity that they had heard what sounded like a round of explosions echoing through the city after the alerts.

On Friday, the Houthis announced that they had thwarted Saudi attacks on the Yemeni capital Sanaa which they said bore the hallmarks of an Islamic State operation. Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea said Saudi Arabia had carried out 300 strikes across Yemen during the past week. He warned the reported attacks on Sanaa would "not go unanswered".

The report has been compiled by Press Orb using information reported across sabcnews.com, bbc.co.uk. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.