Civil Defense Raises Alerts in 4 Saudi Cities After Aerial Threat Subsides
Key Facts
Saudi Civil Defense raised danger alerts in Taif, Abha, Najran and Khamis Mushait on Monday after an aerial threat subsided, according to coverage by Arab News. The warning covering four cities has now ended, while the coverage did not specify the nature of the threat. The newspaper said the alerts were issued as a precaution amid the threat. The coverage does not establish that explosions or missile attacks occurred in the four cities. The alerts were lifted after the threat that prompted the warning had passed, with the report offering no further details about its duration or the party involved.
Separately, preliminary gross domestic product estimates showed that the Saudi economy contracted 3.8% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, after a 4.7% contraction in the second quarter, Arab News reported, citing data from the General Authority for Statistics. The two figures indicate that the pace of annual contraction eased from the previous quarter, while real output remained below its level a year earlier. This indicator does not explain the security alerts, nor is it linked to them in the published coverage. GDP component data present a mixed picture across non-oil and oil activities. On a seasonally adjusted quarterly basis, the economy returned to growth in the third quarter after contracting in the second quarter.
Non-oil activity grew 1.9% year on year in the third quarter, accelerating from 0.8% in the second quarter, according to data cited by the newspaper. This activity contributed 1.1 percentage points to annual GDP growth, while government activities subtracted 0.4 percentage points. Oil activity, meanwhile, fell 20.4% year on year, compared with a 24.8% decline in the previous quarter. The figures show an easing in the pace of the oil sector's contraction alongside faster non-oil activity, but the divergence between the two sectors remains. On a seasonally adjusted quarterly basis, the economy expanded 1.3% in the third quarter, reversing a 4.8% contraction in the second quarter.
The alerts come amid separate coverage of security incidents and threats in the kingdom. In an earlier incident in Riyadh, Saudi authorities said they intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the Associated Press reported; there were no reports of damage in that incident. On October 26, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it had destroyed three drones that it said were targeting Riyadh and the southern regions, Reuters reported. The report provided no immediate Saudi confirmation of Houthi claims that other facilities had been targeted. These previous incidents remain separate from the alerts lifted on Monday, as coverage of the alerts did not specify the type of aerial threat.
In oil markets, futures fell on October 26 after strong gains in the previous session, Reuters reported in an account published by Euronext. Brent crude settled down 0.8% at $115.81 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate fell 1.46% to $101.76. The decline followed a rise of more than $3 in Brent on Friday, bringing its weekly gains to 6%, while U.S. crude rose 2.3% over the week. Reuters said investor concerns about attacks on Saudi Arabia kept them cautious, with prices remaining near six-month highs. These figures describe market movements on that day; the coverage does not attribute any market move to the alerts in the four cities.
Energy infrastructure is part of the backdrop to regional concerns. In an earlier attack on the East-West pipeline, drone strikes halted oil flows immediately, the Associated Press reported. The pipeline runs 1,200 kilometers across the kingdom, and the agency described it as a vital alternative route for transporting crude to markets amid attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The agency also quoted analysts as saying that targeting civilian infrastructure, such as oil facilities and airports, could raise the economic cost to Saudi Arabia as part of Houthi efforts to pressure the kingdom. Alongside the security concerns, Reuters reported that Qatar coordinated with the United States in an effort to reduce tensions. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan also held talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday as part of efforts to prevent further escalation.