Riyadh Airport Attacks and Stalled Hormuz Talks Disrupt Gulf Flights for UAE Residents

Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh have prompted further airline cancellations, and the UAE has condemned the strikes. Saudi authorities said the incident caused 12 deaths and injured hundreds of civilians.

flydubai suspended services to Riyadh through and including October 14, according to its October 11 update. Etihad Airways cancelled services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh through October 12 in its latest notice. Passengers are advised to check individual flight status, including connections and return journeys, with their airline before heading to the airport.

Separately, as of October 12 a top Iranian official said Washington's response to Iran's seven-condition proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz was "inadequate." The proposal envisaged reopening the waterway within seven days, subject to Iran's conditions. Qatar has acted as an intermediary, and Iran says further progress depends on its demands being addressed.

Oil prices cited from OilPrice stood at $90.52 per barrel for WTI crude, $103.6 for Brent crude and $110.6 for Murban. Daily crude movements do not by themselves determine UAE retail fuel prices, which are set in an official monthly announcement.

UAE residents are advised to follow instructions from UAE authorities and emergency services and to monitor official announcements. They are also asked to avoid restricted military and critical infrastructure sites.

Residents are further advised not to film or share images of security incidents or sensitive sites where doing so could violate UAE law.

Cancellations announced in short windows, as flydubai and Etihad have done, show how Gulf carriers manage a security shock on a single route: they suspend day by day instead of withdrawing the route. For operators and charter planners, that means a Riyadh movement can be cleared one day and cancelled the next, so schedules, crew positioning and return legs have to be rechecked against the latest airline notice rather than a fixed plan.

The Hormuz track adds a second source of uncertainty. The strait is a critical route for global oil and gas shipments, so prolonged restrictions or a breakdown in talks could push prices higher, while a durable reopening could ease pressure. Fuel cost is a direct input for every operator in the region, which is why a diplomatic stalemate matters to aviation even when no aircraft are affected.

The next markers are concrete: the October 12 and October 14 end dates on the Etihad and flydubai suspensions, and whether the Qatar-mediated exchange moves beyond Iran's view that Washington's reply was inadequate.