Saudi Arabia reopened terminals 1 and 2 at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 25, 2026, restoring international operations after Houthi attacks disrupted the capital’s main airport. The reopening extends a limited return of domestic flights the previous week, the Associated Press reported.
The restart coincided with further attacks. Saudi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said air defenses destroyed a ballistic missile and a drone directed toward Riyadh early on Sunday, along with 10 ballistic missiles headed toward the southern region.
Two terminals return to service
Terminal 1 is designated for domestic flights, while Terminal 2 handles international flights operated by Saudi national carriers. The arrangement took effect on Sunday under the airport notice reproduced by Arab News, which was issued the previous evening.
Passengers with confirmed reservations were instructed to contact their airlines before travelling to the airport. That request covers both booking status and whether the flight is operating, rather than treating a confirmed ticket as proof of departure.
The notice did not set out arrangements for international services operated by foreign airlines or give a reopening schedule for the other terminals, Gulf Business noted in its account of the advisory. The announcement therefore describes a specific operational restart, not the restoration of every route.
Latest interceptions span two areas
AP’s updated account of al-Malki’s statement separates the ballistic missile and drone aimed at the capital from the 10 ballistic missiles directed south. Those figures are Saudi military claims; the report does not provide independent evidence establishing the outcome of each engagement.
The southern interceptions should not be described as 10 missiles targeting Riyadh. Nor do the reported numbers establish how many weapons were launched across the entire conflict or allow a calculation of Saudi air defenses’ overall interception rate.
The cited account does not identify the defensive systems used. It offers no basis for assigning the interceptions to a particular missile battery, interceptor model or foreign military contingent.
Civilian operations resume under continuing pressure
Earlier Houthi strikes hit a complex containing two other terminals, with 17 people dead and more than 330 wounded, AP reported. Those figures concern the earlier airport attacks, not casualties from Sunday’s reported interceptions.
The reopening also leaves a distinction between airport availability and airline schedules. Gulf News’ aviation update described continuing service suspensions and advised travellers to verify their flights, despite the terminal restart.
For the airport, reopening creates a route back to passenger operations. For the military, Sunday’s interception reports show that defending the capital and the south remained an active task on the same day.
The immediate practical test is whether confirmed flights operate through their assigned terminals. The reopening announcement alone does not establish that disruption has ended or that the threat to civilian aviation has been removed.