Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned a missile attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday 10 October 2026 that killed 12 people, including 28-year-old Egyptian flight attendant Azza Ramzy Mohamed Hassan (spelled Ramzi in some reports), according to Daily News Egypt and Gulf News.
Hassan, from Egypt's Beheira governorate, worked as a cabin crew member for the Saudi low-cost carrier flynas and died from injuries she sustained in the strike. The attack also killed four Saudi citizens, an American, two Bangladeshi nationals, and citizens of Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, and injured more than 300 people in total, five of them Egyptian nationals, according to Khaleej Times and CBS News.
The Saudi-led coalition blamed Yemen's Houthi movement for the strike, part of a wave of attacks that had already damaged aircraft and disrupted operations at the airport earlier in the week, according to CBS News. The broadcaster reported that the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, described the attack as a "dangerous escalation" threatening regional security.
The United States strongly condemns the recent attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the terrorist Houthis, including today's strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that took numerous innocent lives, including an American citizen. — Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, via CBS News
CBS News reported that an earlier strike on Thursday 8 October had already damaged three aircraft on the ground at the airport, prompting Saudi aviation authorities to extend its closure through midnight on Sunday as inspections continued. The broadcaster described the 10 October strike that killed Hassan as the deadliest in any Gulf Arab country since the start of the Iran war, coming amid a broader Saudi-led military offensive against Houthi forces in Yemen. It added that the Houthis had claimed earlier strikes on the airport that week but, as of its publication, had not claimed the attack that killed Hassan, and that multiple international carriers had also adjusted or suspended flights to Saudi airports in response.
The strike was the latest in a pattern Egypt had already denounced. On 8 October, after earlier attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport, Egypt's Foreign Ministry called the strikes "a destabilising factor for the security and stability of the region as a whole," according to a statement carried by Egypt's State Information Service.
After an earlier strike, on 8 October, Egypt stressed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia in confronting anything that could endanger its security or undermine its stability, Egypt's State Information Service reported.
The airport was struck again on 11 October, in a fourth strike in five days, killing a Pakistani national and injuring eleven more people, a day after the deadlier attack that killed Hassan and eleven others, according to Al Jazeera. The broadcaster also reported that India's embassy in Saudi Arabia said one of its citizens died on Sunday of injuries sustained in the Saturday attack, bringing that attack's death toll to 13.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, acting on instructions from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, directed Egypt's embassy and consulate in Riyadh to contact Hassan's family, expedite the repatriation of her body, and visit the five injured Egyptians in hospital to check on their condition and arrange medical care, Daily News Egypt reported.
Violations of international law and threats to civilians of all nationalities. — Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, statement of 11 October
EgyptAir suspended flights between Cairo and Alexandria and Riyadh until operations resume at King Khalid International Airport, in coordination with Saudi civil aviation authorities. Passengers with existing bookings could change to another Saudi destination or request a refund without penalty, according to Egypt Independent.
A war crime under international humanitarian law. — Major General Turki al-Maliki, Saudi-led coalition spokesperson
Saudi officials said inspections and damage assessments were under way at the airport following the string of strikes, but gave no timetable for a full resumption of normal operations, according to Al Jazeera. The General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Saudi regulator cited by CBS News over the earlier closure extension, had likewise not said when it expected the airport to return to full capacity. EgyptAir had not set a date to resume its Riyadh services by the time of publication.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Azza Ramzy Mohamed Hassan?
Hassan was a 28-year-old Egyptian flight attendant from Beheira governorate who worked for the Saudi carrier flynas. She died from injuries sustained in the 10 October missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, according to Khaleej Times and Daily News Egypt.
How many people were killed and injured in the attack?
The 10 October strike killed 12 people, four Saudi citizens and eight foreign nationals including Hassan, and injured more than 300 others, five of them Egyptian nationals, according to Khaleej Times and CBS News. Al Jazeera later reported that the toll had risen to 13 after an Indian citizen died of injuries sustained in the attack. A separate strike on the airport the following day killed a Pakistani national and injured eleven more people, Al Jazeera reported.
What has Egypt done in response?
Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attacks, and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty directed Egyptian diplomats in Riyadh to contact Hassan's family, arrange the repatriation of her body, and visit the injured Egyptians in hospital. EgyptAir also suspended flights between Cairo, Alexandria and Riyadh until the airport resumes normal operations.
Who is blamed for the attacks on the airport?
Saudi-led coalition officials have blamed Yemen's Houthi movement for the strikes on King Khalid International Airport. Accounts of a claim differ: Al Jazeera reported that the Houthis claimed responsibility for the strikes before Sunday's, while CBS News reported that the group had not yet claimed the Saturday strike. A coalition spokesman described the 10 October strike as a war crime under international humanitarian law, according to Gulf News and CBS News.
Had the airport been attacked before 10 October?
Yes. The airport was struck more than once during the week, including an attack on Thursday 8 October that damaged three aircraft on the ground, after which Saudi authorities extended its closure through midnight on Sunday, according to CBS News. Egypt had already condemned that earlier round of strikes in a statement on 8 October, two days before the deadlier attack that killed Hassan.
