Saudi Arabia: After Moroccan Resident Killed in Abha, Riyadh Airport Attack Raises Fears Among MREs

MMNEWS — October 11, 2026

Moroccans living in Saudi Arabia are facing growing anxiety after a series of attacks on the Kingdom’s civilian aviation infrastructure.

On October 7, a Moroccan woman and an Algerian woman were killed in an attack on Abha International Airport. Twenty-eight other people were injured. The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on both Abha and Riyadh airports, according to Saudi officials and international news agencies. 

Three days later, an attack struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation reported 12 deaths and 309 injuries, including several critical cases.

The dead included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals and citizens of the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. No Moroccan citizen has been listed among those killed in this particular Riyadh attack. 

Airport operations were suspended while officials assessed the damage and checked the safety of the facilities. The closure was later extended, leaving flights cancelled or diverted and thousands of passengers facing uncertainty.

The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Houthis for the attack. On Sunday, the group renewed its warning to airlines, airport employees and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace.

Civilian airports must not become battlefields

Whatever the military or political arguments advanced by the parties to this conflict, an airport filled with passengers, workers and families cannot be treated as an ordinary battlefield.

International humanitarian law requires parties to distinguish between military objectives and civilians or civilian infrastructure. The United Nations secretary-general strongly condemned the deadly attack and stressed that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law.

MMNEWS unequivocally condemns attacks that expose civilians to death and injury. This principle must apply equally to civilians in Saudi Arabia and to Yemeni civilians who continue to endure the devastating consequences of the war.

A message of solidarity

On behalf of its editorial team and the MRE readership it serves, MMNEWS expresses its solidarity with the victims, their families, the Saudi people and all foreign communities living in the Kingdom.

Our thoughts are especially with the family of the Moroccan resident killed in Abha and with Moroccans living in Riyadh, Abha and other affected areas.

We call on Moroccans across the world to uphold a clear message: protect civilians, support bereaved families and reject an escalation that places travellers, workers and residents in danger.

Moroccan residents should verify their flight directly with their airline before travelling to an airport, follow Saudi civil-aviation announcements and consult Morocco’s embassy and consular services for official guidance. They should also avoid circulating unverified warnings or graphic footage.