Saudi air defenses shoot down missiles ‘heading for Makkah and Jeddah’

Batteries of the US-made Patriot anti-missile system in Saudi Arabia. (AFP/File photo)
Updated 21 May 2019
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Saudi air defenses shoot down missiles ‘heading for Makkah and Jeddah’

  • Arab Coalition says air targets flying over restricted areas were dealt with accordingly
  • Al-Arabiya said the missiles were heading toward Jeddah and Makkah, according to eyewitnesses

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s air defense forces shot down two ballistic missiles that Al-Arabiya reported were heading towards Jeddah and Makkah.

The forces "monitored air targets flying over restricted areas in Jeddah and Taif province, and were dealt with accordingly,"  Arab coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said.

Al-Arabiya said the missiles were heading toward Jeddah and Makkah, according to eyewitnesses. The report said the missiles were shot down near Taif, just 50 kilometers from Makkah.

Bahrain strongly condemned the firing of the missiles, blaming Houthi militants in Yemen.

The Houthis have fired dozens of missiles at targets in Saudi Arabia, including the capital Riyadh.

In 2016 and 2017 the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government said the militia had launched missiles towards Makkah.


KSrelief delivers vital food aid in 6 countries

Updated 22 February 2026
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KSrelief delivers vital food aid in 6 countries

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief distributed 131 food baskets to displaced and returning families in Rabak, White Nile state, Sudan, benefiting 865 people.

In Uzbekistan, the agency delivered 410 food baskets in Samarkand, reaching 1,547 people. The project aims to distribute 6,060 baskets of essential nutrition to 36,000 beneficiaries in 14 provinces.

KSrelief also provided 200 food baskets in Kamenica, Kosovo, benefiting 1,000 individuals as part of the Etaam project, which plans to deliver 8,017 baskets to 40,000 beneficiaries in 30 municipalities.

In Afghanistan, the agency distributed 110 cartons of dates to returnees from Pakistan and Iran at a refugee camp in Kabul province, assisting 660 people. This is part of a project to deliver 300 tonnes of dates to Afghans this year.

KSrelief distributed 765 cartons of dates to vulnerable groups in Moussoro, the capital of Barh El Gazel region in Chad, benefiting 4,590 individuals.

In Benin, the agency delivered 1,130 food baskets, reaching 6,780 people, as part of a project to distribute 7,825 baskets to 47,000 beneficiaries in several regions.