Interceptor missile launch. Representative image.
Saudi Arabia is running low on interceptor missiles needed to defend against attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, raising concerns over the kingdom’s ability to protect critical infrastructure as hostilities intensify, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
Saudi officials said supplies of interceptors needed to repel further strikes were running low as the Houthis stepped up attacks on airports and energy facilities. The shortage has added pressure on the kingdom’s air defences as it faces threats across its vast territory.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is moving between heavily guarded palaces equipped with bunkers and is accompanied by a handpicked security team, the WSJ reported, citing officials familiar with his movements.
The 41-year-old crown prince’s last public appearance was on Tuesday, October 6, when he donated blood as part of a national campaign, according to the report.
Saudi Arabia has been repositioning its air-defence batteries to prioritise the protection of royal palaces and energy infrastructure. The Houthis have targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh at least four times, the WSJ reported, adding to concerns about the security of the kingdom’s aviation network.
The latest airport attacks came amid an escalation in hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. The two attacks on King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, killed a combined 14 people and injured hundreds, according to Saudi authorities.
Saturday’s attack killed 13 people and injured 309, while Sunday’s separate strike caused a fire at Terminal 4, killing one person and injuring 11 others.
The attacks form part of a wider Houthi campaign against Saudi infrastructure, which the group says is retaliation for Saudi actions against it.
The confrontation has intensified since July, when Saudi-led coalition forces struck Sanaa International Airport in Yemen. The strike targeted the airport’s operational runway amid efforts to prevent a flight carrying a Houthi delegation from landing. The Houthis subsequently launched missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets.
The group has also targeted energy infrastructure, including Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, and threatened shipping routes in the Red Sea.
Riyadh has approached Pakistan, a key military ally, for assistance and is searching internationally for additional air-defence systems, the WSJ reported. Saudi Arabia is also considering recruiting foreign fighters to support its Yemeni allies.
Despite Crown Prince Mohammed’s efforts to strengthen ties with US President Donald Trump, Washington has so far resisted Saudi requests for military assistance to reverse the Houthi advance, although it has sent military advisers, according to the newspaper.
Trump said over the weekend that the United States was communicating with the Houthis and might join Saudi strikes against the group.
Saudi Arabia is also exploring diplomatic options to contain the conflict. However, military action risks drawing the kingdom deeper into an asymmetric conflict in which the Houthis have demonstrated their ability to inflict significant damage.
The escalating attacks threaten Saudi Arabia’s oil-export routes, particularly the East-West pipeline, which transports crude across the country to the Red Sea and provides an alternative to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
A Houthi attack on the pipeline in September and threats to Red Sea shipping have put this alternative route at risk. The group announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia in July, while its advance along Yemen’s coast near the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint has increased concerns about shipping through the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
The conflict is also adding to the challenges facing Crown Prince Mohammed’s Vision 2030 programme, which aims to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil by expanding tourism, attracting foreign investment and developing new industries.
Rising defence and infrastructure costs threaten to divert funds from major development projects. Several initiatives, including NEOM, have been stalled or placed under review, while Saudi Arabia must still finance Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Foreign investment fell during the first two quarters of the year and remained below the crown prince’s 2030 target, according to the WSJ
report. Capital Economics also recorded a contraction in the non-oil economy between the first and second quarters.The Saudi Finance Ministry expects gross domestic product to shrink by 3.6 per cent in 2026, according to the report.
The escalating Houthi attacks have added to the challenges facing Saudi Arabia as it seeks to protect its oil-export routes and pursue its economic diversification plans amid the Iran war.
This post was last modified on October 12, 2026 7:23 pm