Travel advice widened to almost the whole kingdom

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its advice on Saturday, 17 October, telling British citizens to avoid all but essential travel to almost the entire country. Earlier advice had covered only certain cities and areas, so the change is an upgrade. The FCDO still advises against any travel within 10km of the Yemen border. British nationals are also told to stay away from oil infrastructure and military facilities.

“We advise British nationals to avoid King Khalid International Airport until it is secure and to follow the advice from the Saudi authorities.”

Houthi campaign and the airport strike

The FCDO says Houthi missiles and drones have targeted several Saudi areas since 13 July 2026, naming Abha, Jizan, Najran, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Yanbu. It warns of a heightened threat to airports, military sites, ports, energy infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea, and it expects further attacks and disruption. The advice also flags the possibility of renewed attacks by Iran. A strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, 10 October, killed at least 13 people and injured hundreds. The airport was still closed as of 18 October. POLITICO reported at least 19 people killed in the escalation, with thousands of flights affected and global markets rattled.

Egypt moves to back Riyadh

Egypt's National Defense Council, chaired by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, decided to provide 'all possible forms of support' so that Saudi Arabia can defend its security, according to a presidential statement issued on Sunday, 18 October. Sisi had asked parliament for an urgent session to authorise the military to help the kingdom if it asks for aid. A parliamentary vote on a possible troop deployment was postponed to Monday, 19 October, two lawmakers and local media reported. The announcement came a month after a visit by the Saudi crown prince. Saudi Arabia has been pressing allies for military assistance, and the Saudi defence minister met the UAE president on the same day, according to WAM.

Gulf and UN responses

The Gulf Cooperation Council, whose members include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE, condemned the Houthi attacks in a statement issued on Sunday, 18 October, after a foreign ministers' meeting in Manama. The statement said an attack on any member affects all six and backed Saudi Arabia's right to protect itself. Ministers urged tighter enforcement of the UN arms embargo on the group and asked countries to designate it a terrorist organisation. They welcomed a 15 October statement from the UN Security Council condemning Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and threats to Red Sea shipping. Yemen's internationally recognised government wrote to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the council about an attack on the presidential palace in Aden, where it is temporarily based.

Fighting over Riyadh and inside Yemen

The coalition said two drones were intercepted over Riyadh overnight, a third was shot down over the Eastern Province, and two ballistic missiles were intercepted in the south. It reported two helicopter pilots killed near the Yemen border in what it called a 'technical malfunction', its first military deaths since the escalation began. The Houthis claimed to have downed an Apache helicopter. Management of the 99-storey Kingdom Center tower in Riyadh told staff to work from home 'until further notice', without giving a reason. Inside Yemen, government-aligned commanders said eight soldiers died in fighting in Lahij province on Saturday, and more than 233,000 people have been displaced across the country.

Background to the escalation

The Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition have fought at various intensities over the past decade. After a four-year ceasefire, the conflict escalated when the Houthis took strategic territory along the Red Sea coast in September 2026. The Houthis said the attacks were retaliation for 'brutal Saudi aggression' against areas they control in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia has vowed to respond. Fighting flared again after a truce failed, and POLITICO describes the latest front as part of the Iran war.