Saudi air defenses intercept Houthi missile over Riyadh

Updated 20 December 2017
Follow

Saudi air defenses intercept Houthi missile over Riyadh

JEDDAH: Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen fired another ballistic missile at Riyadh on Tuesday, this time targeting Al-Yamamah Royal Palace in the Saudi capital.
“The missile was intercepted by Saudi Patriot defense systems south of Riyadh, causing the debris to scatter,” the Saudi-led Arab Coalition for the support of the legitimate Yemeni government said.  Coalition spokesperson Col. Turki Al-Maliki said no one was injured, and no property was damaged.
The Houthis launched a missile at Riyadh on Nov. 4, targeting King Khalid International Airport. Royal Saudi Air Defense forces intercepted the missile and shot it down, and there was no damage. 
A UN Security Council-appointed panel confirmed the missile was manufactured in Iran, along with three other missiles fired from Yemen toward the Kingdom this year.
On Thursday, the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the US had “concrete proof” that Iran was providing the Houthis in Yemen with ballistic missiles in direct violation of the international arms embargo on Yemen and the weapons export ban on Iran.
“This aggressive and outrageous act by the Houthi militias is further proof of the involvement of the Iranian regime in supporting and supplying this terrorist group with weapons, which constitutes a clear challenge to and violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2231, posing a threat to the security of the Kingdom as well as the region and the wider world,” Al-Maliki said after Tuesday’s attack. 
Targeting residential areas with missiles was a violation of international law, he said. He called on the international community to take active measures to curb Iran’s supply of arms to “terrorists and outlaws” in the region and to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its behavior.

 


Qiddiya ‘shaping the future,’ says executive ahead of Six Flags opening

Minister of Media, Salman Al Dosari Speaks at Six Flags Press Conference. (AN Photo Basmah Albasrawi)
Updated 6 sec ago
Follow

Qiddiya ‘shaping the future,’ says executive ahead of Six Flags opening

  • Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari underscored the Kingdom’s recent monumental achievements in alignment with Six Flags Qiddiya City’s symbolic upcoming opening, stating: “We, in Saudi Arabia do not start where others end, we start where others dream”

RIYADH: Qiddiya is “shaping the future of entire sectors,” the entertainment megaproject’s managing director said at a press conference on Monday ahead of the official opening of Six Flags on Dec. 31.

Abdullah Al-Dawood took to the podium to share his pride in Qiddiya City’s speedy progress.

“Today, Six Flags Qiddiya City is complete, and Aquaarabia is over 95 percent complete,” he said.

With doors set to open in nine days, Al-Dawood made sure to remind the audience that this milestone is only the beginning of a grander vision for Qiddiya City and the Kingdom as a whole.

“What we are doing today goes beyond simply developing a project, it is about building a city and shaping the future of entire sectors. God willing, the Kingdom will be among the leading countries in the fields of entertainment, sports, culture and tourism” he said.

Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari underscored the Kingdom’s recent monumental achievements in alignment with Six Flags Qiddiya City’s symbolic upcoming opening, stating: “We, in Saudi Arabia do not start where others end, we start where others dream.”

En route to the park, Qiddiya executives welcomed members of the press to their grand project as mountains made way to rollercoaster views.

Qiddiya’s progress in becoming a hub for entertainment and sports is visible in the daylight as cranes and construction crew gathered to finalize building some of the most anticipated projects such as Aquaarabia, a waterpark, and golf courses in the heart of the desert.

The park is the first Six Flags outside of North America and forms part of Qiddiya Investment Co.’s flagship development.