Houthis claim strikes on Saudi oil sites and airports as Riyadh postpones its flagship investment summit
Yemen's Houthis say they hit an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Shaybah oilfield and the Riyadh and Abha airports. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the claims, but it has pushed its 'Davos in the Desert' conference to 2027, and Brent crude has climbed above $110.
Yemen's Houthi movement said on Monday that it had carried out six attacks on Saudi Arabia in 48 hours. According to its military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, the targets included an Aramco facility in the Red Sea port of Yanbu, the Shaybah oilfield, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Abha airport, King Khalid Air Base and several radar sites. The group said it was responding to more than 200 Saudi air and missile strikes on Sanaa and other Houthi-held areas. Saudi Arabia has not commented, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the claims.
Hours earlier, the Future Investment Initiative, the kingdom's showcase gathering of bankers and chief executives that was due to open in Riyadh on 26 October, was postponed to 2027. The organisers' statement did not mention the attacks. The Washington Post and The National both linked the decision to weeks of Houthi strikes, including a weekend attack on Riyadh's main airport that the Post says killed 13 people. Two other events, Intersec Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Retail Forum, were also moved to 2027.
The escalation is also feeding into energy markets: Brent crude rose above $110 a barrel, its highest level since May. In Yemen itself, a Houthi missile strike on a government training camp in Shabwa province killed at least 53 people on Monday. Egypt said it was ready to help Saudi Arabia defend its security, which raises the risk of other states being drawn in.