The Hidden Cost of Houthi Attacks for Saudi Arabia | Blow to 18% of Riyadh's Imports | Network Handling 60% of Air Cargo Targeted

Whatever the target of the Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, their economic consequences cannot be overlooked. Halting flights in a country that has invested in developing trade, tourism, and logistics services can extend the cost of these attacks beyond the airports themselves.

world economy; Daniyal Rahimi; In recent days, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted King Khaled Riyadh International Airport; The attacks, which according to the summary of Reuters on October 11, left 18 dead during the week and the initial reports indicate more than 320 wounded. The operation of the airport has been stopped and according to the aviation notice reported on October 12, its closure has been extended until October 17.

Riyadh is not the only airport involved in these attacks. Damage was also reported in Abha, King Abdullah, Jazan and Najran, and the attack on King Fahd Dammam Airport was confirmed. The severity of the damage and the operating status of these airports are different, but the insecurity has also spread to the decision of foreign airlines; A number of companies have suspended their flights, and US and European aviation safety agencies have issued warnings about operating in Saudi skies.

The development of airports and logistics services has become a part of the economic competition of the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf for many years.

The names of many airlines of these countries are familiar to travelers; Companies that attract tourists and business trips to their countries by expanding flight routes.

Saudi Arabia has also moved on the same path. Airports of this country, in addition to transporting passengers, are responsible for a part of the goods exchange network and the connection of companies with foreign markets. Now the attacks have disrupted these communications; The connections that last year's statistics make its dimensions clearer.

What share of Saudi flights do the targeted airports have?

According to the detailed tables of the Saudi Bureau of Statistics, the five airports under investigation will have a total of 63.34 million passenger movements in 2025; It means nearly 45% of the country's passenger traffic. The number of take-offs and landings in these airports has also reached about 471,000, which is equivalent to 48% of the total flight movements in Saudi Arabia.

The largest share belongs to Riyadh. Last year, King Khalid Airport recorded about 40.85 million passenger movements, followed by King Fahd Dammam Airport with 13.66 million. Abha with 4.75 million, Jazan with 2.76 million and Najran with 1.33 million transfers have covered another part of this network. These figures are the sum of the arrival and departure of passengers.

In carrying goods, the weight of Riyad and Damam increases. These two airports moved a total of 708,000 tons of air cargo last year; Nearly 60% of the total air cargo of Saudi Arabia.

About 577,000 tons passed through Riyadh and nearly 132,000 tons passed through Dammam.

Disaggregated statistics about other airports are not available in official sources.

This focus shows the importance of the current disorder. Even with the continued operation of other airports in the country, the suspension or limitation of Riyadh and Dammam services can affect a large part of the capacity of air transportation of goods.

From the import of Riyadh to the Dammam industry and water tourism

For Riyadh, the airport is one of the main routes connecting the capital with the world economy; A path for the entry of goods, the movement of managers and investors, and attendance at business events.

In July 2026, the share of customs origin of Riyadh Airport in the value of Saudi imports is reported to be 17.7%. Considering the country's total import of about 70 billion Rials in that month, the value of registered imports from this source is approximately 12.4 billion Rials (Arabia), equivalent to 3.3 billion dollars. This number shows the size of the passing trade; The airport's own income from service is a separate matter.

Therefore, the suspension of Riyadh's activity can disrupt both the schedule of business trips and delay the delivery of goods. Companies are forced to use another airport or route to maintain their schedules; A change that may increase the shipping time, transfer cost and waiting time for orders.

In Dammam, the importance of the airport is more related to the industrial economy of Eastern Arabia. The announced cooperation between Aramco and Dammam Airports Company to develop logistics services is one of the signs of this relationship. The airport cargo complex also provides transportation, storage and clearance services, and pharmaceutical companies and spare parts are its target customers. In such a network, the delay in the arrival of a shipment can also change the supply or repair schedule of a company's equipment.

For Abha, the issue is mostly related to tourism. The airport is the access route for passengers to the Asir region, and their movement creates demand for hotels, accommodations, restaurants, and local transportation. When travel is canceled, these businesses also lose customers. The announced investment of more than two billion dollars in the new Abha airport project shows the importance of air access in the development plan of this region.

Jazan and Najran provide the connection between the south of Saudi Arabia and the economic centers of the country. In Jazan, the program to connect the free zone to the airport's cargo services will strengthen its position in the logistics network. In Najran, the reduction of flights can make business trips and access to big cities longer and more expensive. As such, the impact of disruption at any airport varies with the structure of the regional economy it serves.

If airports were to close completely, how much activity would be disrupted?

Last year's average daily performance gives a clearer picture of the activity volume of these five airports: about 173,500 passenger movements and 1,290 aircraft departures per day. Riyadh and Dammam alone have moved nearly 1940 tons of air freight daily.

Based on this average, if all five airports are completely closed at the same time for three days, about 521,000 passenger movements, 3,869 aircraft movements and 5,821 tons of cargo will be disrupted. The continuation of this situation for a week will bring the volume of the involved activity to about 1.21 million passenger movements, 9027 aircraft movements and 13.6 thousand tons of cargo.

This scenario examines the assumption of complete closure of all five airports; Their actual current situation is not the same. A part of trips and shipments can also be transferred to another time or route. However, this rescheduling comes at a cost: the passenger must reschedule the trip, the airline must reschedule the aircraft and crew, and the cargo owner must find an alternative way to deliver the order.

Riyadh alone bears a large share of this pressure. The performance of this airport last year was equivalent to about 112,000 passenger movements, 813 aircraft movements and 1,580 tons of cargo. Therefore, the prolonged closure of the capital can cause significant disruption without simultaneously stopping other airports.

How long does the flight take to return?

Part of the cost of the attacks appears the day flights are stopped: revenue for airport services is reduced, airlines face ticket refunds and rescheduling, and tourism and business travel are delayed. But another part of the consequences depends on the duration of the insecurity and the decision of the companies to return.

The suspension of the services of some airlines is now longer than the announced time of closing the airport. According to the list announced on October 12, Air France has suspended flights to Riyadh until the end of October and Philippine Airlines until November 29. Delta has also delayed the start of the new Atlanta-Riyadh route until March 2027. Therefore, the reopening of the airport alone will not mean the immediate return of all routes and capacities.

There is still not enough information about the cost of repair, the duration of the actual stoppage and the amount of activity transfer to other routes to announce the exact amount of economic damage. What the statistics show is the size of the network involved in the attacks: airports with nearly half of the country's passenger traffic and two main hubs with about 60% of Saudi air cargo.

The continuation of this disruption will make Saudi Arabia's plan to develop tourism, trade and logistics services more costly. Airports can resume operations after repairs, but passenger returns, flight routes and commercial programs require stability and safety assurance; The factor that will determine the duration and scope of the economic cost of these attacks.