Missile aimed at Taif intercepted, debris damage in Riyadh

A Houthi missile aimed at Taif was intercepted early on 28 October, after debris from two missiles fell on Riyadh, and PIA's Riyadh flights stay suspended. The Saudi-led coalition said early on Wednesday 28 October that it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards Taif, in the Makkah region; Civil Defence issued early warnings for the Jeddah and Yanbu governorates and announced minutes later that the danger had passed in both, and no casualties or damage were reported, according to Arab News and the Anadolu report carried by The Express Tribune. On the evening of Tuesday 27 October the coalition said two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh had been intercepted, and Civil Defence said debris from them damaged a building, a construction project and a vehicle in the capital, with no casualties or injuries reported, Gulf News reported; residents were reminded that filming or sharing images of interceptions and impact sites can carry legal liability.

The Houthis said they had struck the Ministry of Defence in Riyadh and targeted Abha airport, according to the AFP and Reuters report carried by Business Recorder and the Anadolu report in The Express Tribune; the Saudi statements reported only the interceptions. For pilgrims, the position is unchanged: Gulf News's list of 28 October again shows PIA's Riyadh services suspended with no resumption date, the Pakistan Airports Authority's last statement said PIA's other Saudi services continue, and the Indian embassy in Riyadh said on 27 October that limited flight operations have resumed at King Khalid International Airport, with flynas services, while Saudi airlines continue to operate from Jeddah, Madinah and Dammam. Pakistan remains one of the four countries, with Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt, in the ministerial mechanism for de-escalation, and Egypt's parliament has authorised military support for the Kingdom.

Connections through the UAE remain limited: on 28 October Emirates again listed every Dubai flight to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam as cancelled while its Madinah services operate, with Jeddah still listed to resume on 30 October and Riyadh and Dammam on 8 November; Etihad's Riyadh, Dammam and EY601 to EY604 Jeddah services are cancelled through 5 November, flydubai's Riyadh, Dammam and Abha flights through 29 October, and Air Arabia's Sharjah flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha with no date. Confirm your flight, your terminal at Jeddah and your onward transport to Makkah with the airline or your Umrah operator before leaving for the airport, and follow Civil Defence alerts while in the Kingdom, including in Taif, Jeddah and Yanbu.