Saudi Arabia lifts danger alert for Mecca, Taif and Tabuk

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense announced Thursday that danger warnings had been lifted for Mecca, Taif and the northwestern region of Tabuk, hours after issuing emergency alerts for those areas alongside the western cities of Jeddah and Yanbu. In separate all-clear notices, the agency urged residents to continue following official instructions and to avoid gathering in crowds or filming emergency operations, according to state media.

Warnings amid unspecified threat

The alerts had been disseminated through the national early warning platform regarding what authorities termed a “potential danger,” though officials did not specify the nature of the threat or report any casualties. Mecca and Taif lie in western Saudi Arabia, while Yanbu sits on the Red Sea coast farther north and Tabuk is situated in the kingdom’s northwest.

Houthi attacks raise tensions

The all-clear comes as Saudi Arabia faces renewed missile and drone attacks attributed to Yemen’s Houthi group, which announced a self-declared “maritime blockade” targeting the kingdom on July 20. The Iran-aligned movement has since claimed responsibility for strikes on Saudi-linked vessels and sites, escalating hostilities that have persisted since Riyadh led a coalition intervention in Yemen in March 2015.

The Houthis seized control of Yemen’s capital Sanaa in September 2014 and have since held sway over several provinces, prompting the Saudi-led military campaign to restore the internationally recognized government. More than 150,000 people have been killed in the conflict since then, according to UN estimates.