Saudi Arabia issues rare air raid alerts for Riyadh

[DUBAI] Saudi Arabian authorities issued air raid alerts for Riyadh early on Saturday (Sep 19), the first in the capital since the height of the US-Iran war in March and April.

The kingdom’s early warning system issued emergency alerts at 4 am and again at 6 am for residents of the capital, without giving further details. The Saudi civil defence said the danger had lifted soon after in both cases.

Other areas across Saudi Arabia received similar warnings overnight, including the Red Sea cities of Jeddah and Yanbu and Farasan Island in the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia has come under renewed attack in September, with the Houthis, an Iran-backed group based in Yemen, targeting western towns and energy infrastructure.

Last week, the Saudi government said a drone attack emanating from Iraq – which has several pro-Teheran militias – caused the vital East-West pipeline to be shut down.

The development presents a further problem for the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The pipeline attack and Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have caused Saudi Arabia’s oil exports to plunge.

The fresh hostilities now threaten to hit the kingdom’s attempts to attract investment and tourists to diversify the economy.

In October, Riyadh is scheduled to host Saudi Arabia’s flagship investment conference, called the Future Investment Initiative.

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