Riyadh airport stays shut as Kingdom Center orders staff to work remotely

Riyadh's Kingdom Center skyscraper told office tenants to work remotely from Sunday, 18 October 2026, as the Saudi-led coalition reported two helicopter pilots killed in a crash near the Yemen border. The order adds to travel disruption in the Saudi capital, where the international airport remains closed after an attack a week ago that killed 13 people.

Key facts

• Kingdom Center office tenants must work remotely until further notice; the mall at the base of the tower stays open
• Riyadh's international airport remains closed after a Houthi attack a week ago killed 13 people
• Schools have recently extended remote learning measures
• Two pilots died in a helicopter crash in Najran, near the Yemen border
• The coalition said it intercepted two drones near Riyadh, one over the Eastern Province and two ballistic missiles in the south

What has closed in Riyadh?

The 99-storey Kingdom Center, a landmark in central Riyadh, announced "mandatory" remote working until further notice. Building management told tenants in an email seen by AFP that "remote working arrangements are mandatory for all office employees at Kingdom Centre" and asked them not to attend the offices during the period. No reason was given for the order.

Office tenants of the tower include the International Monetary Fund alongside major financial services and management consultancy firms. The shopping mall at the foot of the building remains open. Schools in the city have recently extended remote learning measures, and Riyadh's airport is still closed following last week's attack.

What happened near the Yemen border?

The Saudi-led coalition said an AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter belonging to the Ministry of National Guard crashed inside Saudi territory in Najran Region because of what it called a technical malfunction. Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki said the two officers on board were killed.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said late on Saturday that the group had shot down an Apache helicopter in the same area. The coalition's account of the crash blamed a mechanical fault.

What else has been attacked?

The coalition said it intercepted two drones in the Riyadh area and a third over the oil-rich Eastern Province after Saudi authorities issued a threat alert in the capital. It also reported intercepting two ballistic missiles in the kingdom's south.

The Houthis have struck Saudi targets including tankers in the Red Sea, oil facilities and Riyadh's King Khalid International airport. On Saturday the group reported that Saudi air strikes killed 12 people in Yemen, including three children. The coalition, which backs the internationally recognised Yemeni government, has carried out repeated air raids on Houthi territory.

Why is this happening?

Yemen's conflict has surged back after an uneasy four-year truce and intensified last month when the Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast. The Saudi-led coalition's decade-plus war with the Iran-backed group has reignited during the US-Iran war, with attacks reported by both sides.

The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and captured territory around the Bab al-Mandab strait, a Red Sea chokepoint and a vital export route for Saudi oil since Iran blockaded the Gulf's Strait of Hormuz. The Red Sea connects Asia with Europe via Egypt's Suez Canal.

What this means for travellers

Anyone due to fly to or from Riyadh should check the status of their flight, as the international airport remains closed. Visitors to the capital should also expect disruption around the Kingdom Center, where offices are shut, although the mall at its base is still trading.

What happens next

Egypt's parliament is due to hold an emergency session on Sunday after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi asked lawmakers to authorise support to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks. Sisi said he was ready to "carry out any measure to protect" Saudi Arabia if its leaders requested it, adding that any involvement would be defensive. No date has been given for the end of the Kingdom Center's remote working order or the reopening of Riyadh's airport.