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Explosions were heard in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Saturday after authorities issued an air raid warning over what they described as a hostile aerial threat.
AFP journalists in the city reported hearing two explosions shortly after residents received an alert to stay indoors.
The warning was sent shortly before 3:00 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), and residents were told the area faced an aerial threat.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency lifted the alert about 30 minutes later.
The incident marks the first time Riyadh has been directly affected since fighting in neighbouring Yemen intensified in July.
The Iran-aligned Houthi movement has in recent days carried out attacks linked to the escalating conflict and launched an offensive aimed at taking control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline.
The offensive has given the group control of areas around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis have also declared a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, whose oil shipments had increasingly relied on routes through Bab al-Mandeb after the Strait of Hormuz was closed during the wider Middle East conflict.
Data from maritime tracking firm Kpler showed that Saudi oil exports through Bab al-Mandeb have declined since July.
However, five loaded vessels were recorded passing through the waterway in the past week.
The Houthis have maintained that navigation through the strait remains open, except for vessels linked to Saudi Arabia.
The renewed fighting has also worsened the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
The United Nations said on Friday that more than 112,000 people had been displaced by the latest violence, while nearly 3,000 others had crossed the sea to Djibouti in search of safety.
The displacement has added to the hardship facing a population already affected by years of conflict and humanitarian crisis.
