Malaysia urges Umrah pilgrims to hold off travel after deadly Riyadh airport missile strike

This screen grab taken from CCTV footage released by the Saudi Media Ministry on October 11, 2026, shows the moment Riyadh International was hit by a Houthi strike on October 10, 2026. — AFP pic/Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media

First Published: Monday, 12 Oct 2026 4:15 PM MYT

SEPANG, Oct 12 — Malaysians are advised to temporarily postpone travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah following security concerns after a deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said.

He said that while there had been no incident in Makkah, the missile attack in Riyadh had prompted the government to advise Malaysians to defer non-essential travel to Makkah and Madinah for the time being.

“There has been no incident in Makkah, but the missile explosion in Riyadh has raised security concerns,” he told reporters after attending the departure of Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the Bunga Raya Complex here today

Yesterday, the Foreign Ministry reported that no Malaysians had been killed or injured in Saturday’s attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh or the incident involving a projectile that fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that the attack on King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and injured 309 others.

The fatalities comprised four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis and one national each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. — Bernama