When loud booms were heard in Riyadh on October 8, there were no public early warning alerts, though some diplomats received missile threat warnings and some schools told parents to shelter in place. Saudi Arabia is investigating why its air defenses failed during the October 10 airport attack. Two regional officials told the Associated Press that initial findings pointed to multiple drones arriving before cruise and ballistic missiles, and investigators were examining the lack of earlier warning.
The airport remains closed until 21:00 GMT on October 17 while authorities check its safety and operational readiness. President Donald Trump said Monday he had spoken with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the attacks but gave no details. He previously raised the possibility of joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis, saying, “We may. We're going to look at it.”