Report: Despite the attacks on Riyadh Airport, the Saudi warning system did not issue alerts

Riyadh - Ofoq News - Saudi authorities stopped public warnings of anticipated military attacks days before a series of bloody strikes on an airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 300 others.

The government did not explain why these warnings were not given to the public before the four attacks that targeted Riyadh in the past few days.

These warnings shed light on acts of violence that undermine the Kingdom's efforts to present an image of stability and calm to its citizens and the world in light of its war with the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen.

Four Western and Arab officials in the region and political analysts told Reuters that the failure to issue these warnings during the attacks on the airport raised questions about the extent of Saudi Arabia’s vulnerability to attacks and its ability to protect residents and visitors.

They added that this also reflects efforts to maintain a sense of normalcy.

“They (the Saudi government) want to combine the two things: launch a military operation, and at the same time try to reassure the population and external parties,” said Sultan Al-Amer, a US-based Saudi academic and senior resident fellow at the Middle East Policy Council think tank.

Neither the Saudi Civil Defense nor the Kingdom's government communication center responded to emailed questions about why the alerts were not issued.

Some analysts in the region believe that the Saudi approach may backfire, because the absence of these warnings has increased the state of uncertainty within the Kingdom.

Yesterday, Monday, the Saudi Civil Defense issued its first warnings since September 29, warning of possible threats in Riyadh and cities in the south of the Kingdom.