Schools in Riyadh have moved lessons online again after Saudi air defences intercepted Houthi missiles fired towards the capital on Tuesday, 10 November, in the latest escalation of attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences destroyed a ballistic missile and a cruise missile fired towards Riyadh, as well as a ballistic missile aimed at the kingdom's southern region and a drone over the Eastern Province, Reuters reported. Saudi Civil Defence issued an early-warning alert for Riyadh before later saying the danger had passed, with similar alerts for the south-western cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait also lifted.

Schools in the capital will hold classes online from Tuesday as a precaution, according to a message to parents seen by the news agency AFP, with no end date given for the measure. Gulf News reporting confirmed that Riyadh schools had moved to online classes and that parents had been told the arrangement would continue without a stated end date.

Pupils had only just returned to classrooms

The return to remote learning comes just two days after pupils in Riyadh went back to their classrooms on Sunday, 8 November, after nearly a month of remote lessons prompted by security concerns following Houthi attacks on the capital in October. That first day back coincided with fresh attacks on Riyadh on Sunday morning.

On Sunday, the coalition said air defences intercepted two ballistic missiles fired towards Riyadh. Falling debris caused minor damage to an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in the King Abdullah Financial District, Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said, adding that there were no casualties. The Houthis later claimed responsibility for the attack on the Aramco building.

Pakistan's Foreign Office condemned the attack on Monday and called on the Houthis to end attacks on Saudi Arabia immediately and unconditionally, saying the security of Saudi Arabia was of paramount importance to Pakistan.

Attacks on Saudi infrastructure intensify

The missile fire on Tuesday followed an attack on Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline in the Medina region on Monday, which caused a fire that was extinguished without affecting operations, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The coalition said on Monday it had destroyed three facilities in Yemen used to assemble and produce ballistic missile components.

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have stepped up strikes on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities since a truce in Yemen's war collapsed in July, and amid the wider US-Israeli war with Iran that began in February. The Houthis say their attacks are part of that wider regional war. The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000 displaced since hostilities resumed in Yemen.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Tuesday that the group had hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and an oil facility in Abqaiq in the east. The coalition said the missiles were intercepted, and no casualties were reported in the capital. The Houthis did not immediately comment on the specific interceptions announced on Tuesday.

Flights disrupted as airlines suspend Riyadh routes

The attacks are also disrupting air travel. Gulf News reported that Etihad had cancelled Abu Dhabi to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to Dammam services through 19 November, while flydubai's Riyadh and Abha services were suspended through 16 November. Lufthansa has suspended Riyadh until 18 November and KLM until 27 November, according to the same reporting.

Britain announced in October that it would deploy fighter jets on defensive missions to help protect Saudi cities from aerial attacks. Saudi Civil Defence has repeatedly urged residents to follow official alerts, avoid gathering near impact sites and refrain from filming air defence activity.

For families in Riyadh, the return to online schooling is the clearest sign yet that daily life in the capital remains hostage to a conflict that shows no sign of easing, with no date set for classrooms to reopen.