The recent attacks launched by the Houthi militia targeting civilian airports in Saudi Arabia, most notably the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which resulted in casualties and injuries among civilians, raised international questions and warnings regarding the protection of vital installations.
In the midst of armed conflicts, international humanitarian law emerges as a legal and moral barrier to protect civilian facilities, especially airports and vital objects that the law classifies as “civilian objects” that are categorically prohibited from targeting.
The system for protecting civilian facilities is based on well-established international pillars, most notably the Geneva Conventions and the First Additional Protocol of 1977, which enshrines in Article (48) the principle of strict distinction between civilian objects and military targets, while Article (52) clearly prohibits directing any attacks against airports and vital non-military facilities, in addition to Article (51), which criminalizes indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians and their property without discrimination.
In the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the criminalization of these behaviors goes further, by stating in Article 8 that intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects or bombing unprotected buildings constitutes a “war crime” requiring international prosecution of its perpetrators.
The same is true of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural and Civilian Property, which obligates parties to the conflict to prohibit any hostile or sabotage actions targeting civilian and vital property and facilities.
Despite the broad immunity, international law establishes a very narrow exception in which these facilities become legitimate military targets. This occurs exclusively when two concomitant conditions are met, namely the possibility of actual contribution, such as the use of a civilian facility, such as airports or power stations, in actual military action, such as transporting equipment or taking off military aircraft, or the availability of a decisive advantage, such as the destruction of the facility providing a direct and decisive military advantage to the attacking party.
Even if this exception is achieved, the attacking party remains bound by the necessity of absolute adherence to the principle of proportionality and taking all necessary precautions to avoid excessive losses among civilians, which confirms that the protection of civilian facilities remains the legal principle from which it is not permissible to deviate except within the narrowest limits.
The protection of civilians during wars and armed conflicts forms the backbone of international humanitarian law (IHL). The law strictly and absolutely prohibits targeting civilians, and any attacks directed against them intentionally or indiscriminately are considered war crimes with no statute of limitations.
The international legal system for the protection of individuals is based on main pillars, including the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949), which is the first international agreement devoted entirely to the protection of civilian persons in times of war. It obligates parties to a conflict to treat them humanely, and prohibits assaulting their lives, torturing them, taking them hostage, or applying collective punishments against them.
In Additional Protocols I and II (1977), protection provisions in international and internal conflicts were strengthened. Article 51 of Protocol I stipulates that “the civilian population and civilian persons shall enjoy general protection against dangers resulting from military operations.”
In the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998), intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such, or against individual civilians not directly participating in hostilities, is included in the list of severe war crimes according to (Article 8) of the statute.
A senior official at the Egyptian Embassy in Saudi Arabia revealed that the official procedures for transporting the body of the Egyptian air hostess, Azza Ramzy, to Cairo are nearing completion, suggesting that the body will arrive tomorrow (Monday), after completing the necessary permits and shipping arrangements, while the health condition of the seven injured Egyptians has been confirmed to be stable, and two of them have left the hospital after receiving treatment, while 5 are still receiving medical care.
Yasser Hashem, the Egyptian Consul General in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, explained in a phone call with Asharq Al-Awsat that the concerned authorities are working to complete the procedures for transporting the body, after obtaining the transport permit, and working to finalize the police report and documents related to the death. Pointing out that the procedures are going well and are expected to be completed during the day.
He said that the airline for which the deceased was working as an air hostess will undertake arrangements to ship the body to Cairo, pointing out that determining the flight date depends on completing the required preparations, including preparing the coffin, and coordination with the shipping company and the competent authorities.
Consul Hashem indicated that it is possible to complete the procedures “today,” provided that the body will be transported the next day and arrive in Cairo, explaining that the process of transporting the body will be from the capital, Riyadh, according to the operating conditions of King Khalid International Airport and the available flight times.
Regarding the health condition of the injured, the Egyptian Consul confirmed that the number of injured people reached 7, two of whom received the necessary treatment and left the hospital, while 5 others are still receiving medical care, stressing that the health conditions of the injured are stable and reassuring, explaining that one of the cases suffered injuries to the face, arm and abdomen, but they do not pose a threat to life, according to the available medical information.
According to the information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat about the flight attendant, Azza Ramzi, the three years that the deceased spent working in Saudi Arabia were not just a passing professional stop; Rather, she left a good impression on those who knew her, with her good manners, passion for work, and ambition for the future.
An acquaintance of the deceased said in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that she was the youngest sister among her brothers, and she spent 3 years in Saudi Arabia, during which she joined the airline from within Saudi Arabia. Pointing out that she was known for her high morals, politeness, and respect for others.
He added that the deceased was an ambitious young woman who was passionate about her work, keen on performing her professional duties, and loved to work at all times, stressing that she left a good image among those who dealt with her.
The recent Houthi attacks on civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia, especially airports, revealed the strength and cohesion of the transportation network in the Kingdom. Several measures demonstrated the ability to deal with similar challenges and provide alternative solutions that enhance the smooth movement of passengers.
With King Khalid International Airport being subjected to a brutal attack on Saturday, remarkable aspects immediately emerged regarding the readiness of the Saudi transportation network for all circumstances. On Saturday, the Saudi Railways “SAR” announced the operation of additional trains from Al-Qassim to Riyadh, passing through Al-Majmaah Station, in the early hours of Sunday morning, which travelers told Asharq Al-Awsat provided them with the option of heading to Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport in the Al-Qassim region (central Saudi Arabia), and then taking the “SAR” train to Riyadh, their final destination, which reflects the strength of this network and the multiplicity of its options, under any circumstances, as they put it.
In addition, phases of gradual operation are continuing at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah Governorate (western Saudi Arabia), with airlines continuing to move from the northern terminal to Terminal 4, amid the flow of flights shown by air traffic control applications for flights.
Travelers also reported to Asharq Al-Awsat that their flights were delayed to Riyadh, before they were redirected to Al-Dawadmi Airport in the Al-Dawadmi Governorate of the capital, Riyadh, before moving overland to Riyadh in a distance not exceeding 300 square kilometers.
In the same context, the Saudi Embassy in Kuwait announced the provision of buses to transport citizens wishing to return to the city of Riyadh whose flights were cancelled, provided that there is a canceled travel reservation, while the Embassy in Bahrain called on citizens whose flights were affected or who were unable to reach their destinations as a result of the suspension or delay of some flights heading to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, to contact the embassy to request the necessary assistance and guidance.
The Saudi transportation system is based on a multi-center and multi-modal network, which gives it a wide range of operational alternatives, including 27 commercial airports spread throughout the country, including international, regional and local. According to the General Authority for Statistics, the Kingdom’s airports received 140.9 million passengers during the year 2025 through 979.8 thousand flights, and Saudi airports are connected to 176 destinations in 66 countries.
This expansion is not limited to air transport only, as the Saudi Railways “SAR” operates a network exceeding 5,500 kilometers, and during 2025 it transported more than 14 million passengers and more than 30 million tons of metals and goods. In Riyadh, the Riyadh train network adds 6 tracks with a length of 176 kilometers and 85 stations, including a track that reaches King Khalid International Airport. These numbers reflect the expansion of infrastructure and the multiplicity of transportation centers and paths in the country.
