Saudi Arabia reports Houthi attempts to target holy cities

Saudi Arabia has reported three alleged attempts by Yemen’s Houthi movement to target areas around the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah over the past nine years, including two incidents reported in September 2026.

According to Saudi authorities, the latest incidents involved an alleged drone attack near Madinah and another drone that was intercepted south of Makkah before entering the city’s restricted airspace.

The Saudi-led coalition said a drone attributed to the Houthis targeted a power station in Madinah earlier this week. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said the strike damaged a transformer but did not disrupt the wider electricity network.

Saudi authorities alleged that the attack targeted infrastructure supplying electricity services to the Prophet’s Mosque. They said an investigation, operational information and analysis of debris linked the drone to the Houthi movement.

Earlier, on September 16, Saudi air defences reportedly intercepted a Houthi drone south of Makkah. Officials said the drone was destroyed before reaching the city’s restricted airspace.

Saudi Arabia described the September incident as the second alleged attempt to target Makkah by the Houthis. The first reported incident dates back to July 2017, when Saudi authorities said they intercepted a ballistic missile launched towards the Makkah region.

The Houthis have rejected the allegations concerning Makkah. Houthi officials said their attacks were directed at military targets rather than the holy city. The group also disputed Saudi Arabia’s account of the 2017 incident.

The reports have triggered condemnation from several Arab and Muslim countries and international organisations, including Türkiye, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE and Pakistan. The Gulf Cooperation Council, Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have also expressed concern over any threat to the holy sites.

Makkah and Madinah are home to Islam’s two holiest sites, the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque. Any reported threat to either city has therefore drawn strong reactions across the Muslim world.