Saudi Arabia shifts schools in Riyadh to remote learning amid Houthi threat

Saudi Arabia has shifted schools in the capital Riyadh to remote learning for a week, with parents receiving last-minute notifications on Sunday as concerns grow over attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis. According to news agency AFP, parents across Riyadh received emails from schools informing them that in-person classes would be suspended for the entire week.

"We have just been informed by Saudi authorities that schools must remain closed all week," read two separate messages seen by AFP.

The authorities did not give a reason for the decision. However, this comes amid a sharp escalation in attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, including a series of drone and ballistic missile launches claimed to have been carried out by the Houthis.MISSILES AND DRONES TARGET SAUDI ARABIA

The school closures came a day after the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched towards the kingdom.

The coalition said the missiles were heading towards Khamis Mushait, while the drones were headed towards Riyadh. It said Saudi forces were continuing to monitor the threat from missiles and drones launched from Yemen.

Saudi civil defence issued overnight alerts for Khamis Mushait and Abha, although no alert was issued for Riyadh, according to Reuters.

The attacks are part of a wider escalation that began in July, when renewed fighting shattered a years-long period of relative calm between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. The Houthis control Yemen's most heavily populated areas, including much of the north. They have increasingly taken the conflict beyond Yemen's borders, targeting Saudi territory as the wider Middle East war has expanded.

Saudi Arabia occupies a critical position in the global oil trade, and any sustained disruption to its territory or shipping routes could have consequences far beyond the kingdom.

The Houthi campaign has included attacks on Saudi cities, energy infrastructure and vessels in the Red Sea. The group declared a naval blockade against Riyadh in July and has since launched attacks in and around key maritime routes, including strikes targeting the holy city of Mecca.

That matters because the Red Sea offers Gulf exporters an alternative route to global markets. With shipping through the Strait of Hormuz already severely constrained by the wider conflict, further disruption around the Red Sea could put additional pressure on oil supplies.- Ends