Matthew’s view
Riyadh was once the Gulf’s escape route from the Iran war. No longer.
Several Western governments are advising against travel to Saudi Arabia. The US requires officials to obtain special approval to use the capital’s airport. I’m hearing of some executives leaving for Doha and the UAE.
Here in Riyadh, we now hear booms and see fires that have largely been absent since the conflict began on Feb. 28. This is a jarring reversal. Saudi Arabia has suffered fewer attacks than Gulf neighbours, its airspace has mostly stayed open, and the kingdom has projected a business-as-usual attitude.
That message is getting harder to sustain after Iran-backed Houthi fighters escalated attacks in response to the Saudi-led campaign against them in Yemen. One person was killed in a strike on Riyadh airport, a Saudia Airlines plane was reportedly in flames, and hundreds of flights have been canceled.
Some offices, schools, and the Expo 2030 construction site near the airport were evacuated on Thursday. Foreign governments suggested their citizens remain vigilant, but what can individuals do when threats come suddenly from the sky?
Over the next few weeks, Saudi Arabia is hosting the World Petroleum Congress and the Future Investment Initiative, drawing CEOs from the world’s biggest energy and financial companies. While no postponements or cancellations have been announced, security teams are undoubtedly assessing what level of risk is tolerable for the titans of the global economy. Staying away could offend the kingdom, and firms that don’t stand with Saudi Arabia now risk missing out when the economy bounces back.
Older residents here repeat a mantra that the country has been through worse, notably when Iraq launched Scud missiles in 1991 during the first Gulf War. But most of those strikes were on military structures.
Riyadh was different then, too. It had no ambitions to be a hub for finance, trade, and tourism. Today, it needs stability. It’s harder to sell investors on its vision when the capital is under fire.
Notable
- Explosions “rattled” Riyadh on Thursday, with this week’s Houthi attacks being the deadliest since the war in Yemen was reignited last month, The New York Times reported.