First-ever air-raid alert in Mecca as Houthi attacks escalate in Saudi Arabia

The alerts were later lifted after authorities said the danger had passed.

Unprecedented alert in Holy city

Saudi Civil Defence issued short-lived aerial threat warnings across several areas along the kingdom's western coast, including Mecca, Jeddah and Taif.

The alert in Mecca marked an unprecedented development, with the holy city reportedly receiving an aerial threat warning for the first time.

The Directorate of Saudi Civil Defence later said the danger in Mecca had passed and urged residents to continue following safety instructions.

“Alert: The danger has passed in Mecca City,” the agency said in a post on X, while asking people to avoid gatherings and filming during the emergency.

Medina-bound Air Traffic halted

The escalating security situation also affected air traffic in the region.

According to Israeli newspaper Hayom, air traffic bound for Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina was halted.

The development came as Saudi Arabia continued responding to a series of attacks launched from Yemen by the Houthis.

13 wounded in latest Saudi attack

The latest alerts came a day after a Houthi assault involving ballistic missiles and drones wounded 13 people in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis also claimed a large-scale attack using “dozens of ballistic missiles and drones” targeting King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, in southern Saudi Arabia.

The group has significantly intensified its attacks against Saudi targets in recent days.

Oil sites targeted, dozens reportedly wounded

The Houthis carried out what was described as their heaviest missile and drone assault on Saudi Arabia in years, with attacks reportedly setting oil facilities ablaze and leaving 73 people wounded.

On Monday, a Houthi strike in western Yemen also killed eight soldiers serving with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, according to two military sources.

Why are Houthis targeting Saudi Arabia?

The latest escalation follows the renewed fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen.

The conflict intensified in July after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Riyadh and began targeting shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

Houthi politburo member Hazem al-Assad said the group's attacks would continue and escalate as long as Saudi Arabia continued what the group described as aggression against Yemen.

Bab Al-Mandab Strait raises global concern

The escalating conflict has also raised fears over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Qatar warned Tuesday of severe global consequences if the strategic waterway were closed.

Qatari Foreign Ministry official Ibrahim Al Hashmi described such a move as potentially “catastrophic for the entire world”.

Saudi leadership faces tough choices

The rapid escalation has put Saudi Arabia under growing pressure as Houthi attacks threaten both the kingdom's security and a vital international shipping route.

The latest alerts in Mecca, Jeddah and Taif underscore the widening security threat, while disruptions to air traffic and attacks on energy infrastructure add to the pressure on Riyadh.

The situation remains fluid as Saudi-backed forces and the Houthis continue to trade attacks amid the wider conflict in Yemen.