Hundreds of outbound Saudia passengers were left stranded at King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) for several hours on Thursday because of a faulty conveyor belt.
Several passengers, who called Arab News from KKIA, claimed one of the belts at the departure terminal had broken down, causing flight delays and discomfort.
The malfunction, which affected only Saudia international flights, created a chaotic scene at the check-in counters.
More than 1,000 pieces of luggage were seen piled up all across the departure lounge and the airport lobby throughout Thursday morning.
Luggage handling was badly affected because of the problem with the conveyor belt.
“But what angered the passengers more was the attitude of ground staff; the passengers were not informed about the status of the flights,” Kamran Khan told Arab News via phone from the airport.
At least six Saudia flights out of about 27 flights operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines on Thursdays between 9 a.m. to 12 noon were badly affected and delayed anywhere between one and five hours.
They were SV117, bound for London, SV263, bound for Istanbul, SV558, bound for Dubai, SV329, bound for Alexandria, and SV760, bound for Delhi.
The duty manager at KKIA refused to share information when asked about the cause of delays and what had really happened.
Arab News contacted Abdullah Al-Azhar, a Saudia spokesman, who promised to call back, but did not return the call.
Mojib Siddiqui, a Delhi-bound passenger, said he was on board the flight SV760 for about five hours before it flew for Delhi.
“I will miss my connecting train and will now be forced to spend the whole night in Delhi,” said Siddiqui.
“The Saudi flight bound for London SV117 also took off two hours late,” said another passenger traveling to London.
SV760, scheduled to fly out at 10 a.m., left for New Delhi at 2:44 p.m. on Thursday, while SV726, bound for Islamabad, was delayed for more than two hours. Airport officials acknowledged the problem, but said it was “minor.” “The delivery of luggage from security checkpoints to airplanes was halted for some time,” he said.
Authorities have yet to determine the exact number of flights delayed.
Belt glitch strands hundreds at Riyadh airport
Belt glitch strands hundreds at Riyadh airport
AlUla announces discovery of rare 465 million-year-old crab fossils
- Work being carried out to study, characterize the fossils
- AlUla was likely closer to shore, but today 100km inland
RIYADH: The Royal Commission for AlUla announced on Thursday the discovery of rare horseshoe crab fossils estimated to be 465 million years old.
Work is being carried out to study and characterize the fossils, which have not yet been scientifically classified, the RCU said in a post on X.
All of the fossils were found in an upside-down position, an unprecedented preservation pattern for this species.
The discovery was also notable in that the fossils were larger than other known species typically found from the same period.
The RCU also said that trace fossils were found, suggesting that the specimens were moving.
The commission said on X that this was a “one-of-a-kind discovery published scientifically at an international level, enhancing AlUla’s standing as a leading global site for geological research.”
A study on the findings was published in the peer-reviewed journal Gondwana Research, in a paper titled “Ordovician horseshoe crab body and trace fossil association preserved in a unique taphonomic setting.”
It notes that the finding suggests that AlUla was historically much closer to the shore, whereas today it is more than 100 km inland.
Archaeological research in Saudi Arabia in recent years has uncovered vast troves of ancient artefacts.
In October 2025, the Heritage Commission’s Al-Yamamah Archaeological Project survey announced the discovery of 337 new archaeological sites in the Kingdom, including sites for stone tool manufacturing, water facilities and circular stone structures.
In September, the commission discovered the oldest architectural settlement in the Arabian Peninsula, dating back to the pre-pottery Neolithic period of 10,300 to 11,000 years ago, near Tabuk.
