The Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defence announced on Monday, 12 October 2026, that it had issued an alert through the National Early Warning Platform for emergencies in Riyadh to warn of a danger, urging the capital’s residents to follow alerts and official instructions issued by the relevant authorities.
Platform sends alerts directly to mobile phones
The National Early Warning Platform enables warning messages to be sent to mobile phones connected to telecommunications networks through the cell broadcast service. The messages are accompanied by a distinctive tone to alert residents and guide them on the steps to follow during emergencies.
The safety guidance issued by Civil Defence upon receiving early warning messages includes remaining calm, moving to the nearest safe place and staying indoors until the danger has been declared over. It also advises keeping away from open areas and glass windows and avoiding standing on balconies or building rooftops.
The instructions also urge people outside buildings to enter the nearest safe building or take cover behind a solid barrier, while avoiding crowds and filming, staying away from dangerous sites and continuing to follow official channels for updates on the situation. The alert was activated a day after the General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had come under a new attack on Sunday afternoon, 11 October 2026.
Injuries and damage reported after Riyadh airport incident
The authority said the incident had resulted in injuries and that the relevant authorities had begun assessing the damage and checking the safety of the airport’s facilities. On the same day, Major General Turki al-Malki, the official spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, announced that air defences had intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near King Khalid International Airport.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation had also announced that King Khalid International Airport came under two attacks on 8 October. One targeted airport facilities, while the other targeted a Saudi Airlines aircraft. According to the authority, the two attacks killed three Saudi nationals and injured several citizens and residents of different nationalities, in addition to causing material damage.
