“The word ‘fear’ does not exist in the Saudi dictionary,” asserts Riad

After several attacks at the airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh, air traffic there will remain suspended for several days. The flight stop should now apply until Sunday 0:00 a.m. (local time, Saturday 11:00 p.m. CEST), according to a message to the pilots (NOTAM). The reason given was “precautionary measures”.

The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said steps should be completed during the extended disruption to ensure operational safety. Among other things, the Bahraini state airline Gulf Air and Lufthansa Group airlines have temporarily suspended their flights to Riyadh.

1,500 flights canceled in Saudi Arabia

According to the flight service Flightradar24, there were also severe disruptions to air traffic in Dammam in the east of the country, where there have also been attacks in the past few days, as well as in the coastal city of Jeddah in the west. The Emirati news site Gulf Business reported that almost 1,500 flights were canceled in Saudi Arabia in the wake of the attacks.

The Houthi militia has increased its attacks on Saudi Arabia, including attacks on airports and oil facilities. The kingdom reported attacks in recent days at the international airport in the capital Riyadh, where at least 12 people were killed and more than 300 others injured in one of the worst attacks in years.

Meanwhile, the Saudi government is trying to project an image of calm and stability. “The word ‘fear’ does not exist in the Saudi dictionary,” Energy Minister Abdulasis bin Salman said at an energy congress in Riyadh.