Yemen and the Red Sea

Riyadh: a government agency, companies in the King Abdullah Financial District and the Kingdom Centre move staff to remote work amid Houthi attacks, AFP reports

ASSESSMENT
Location
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (city-level, estimated)
Actors
Saudi Arabia · Houthis
Importance
Standard

Employers in Riyadh moved staff to remote work as the Saudi capital came under repeated Houthi attack, AFP reported in an article published by Al Jazeera on 20 October 2026. An employee of a government agency received a message on Sunday 18 October saying remote work would apply from Monday to Thursday that week; companies in the King Abdullah Financial District, which hosts offices of major US firms, also asked employees to work from home, and the Kingdom Centre tower, which houses the IMF's regional office, asked workers to stay away until further notice, according to AFP's sources. The same report covered the postponement of the Future Investment Initiative conference to 2027. No Saudi government statement on remote work was read.

Verification: unverified

Evidence: Saudi Arabia cancels 2026 'Davos in the Desert' amid Houthi attacks

Single AFP report carried by Al Jazeera, citing an employee and other unnamed sources; the agency and companies are not named; no Saudi government statement read.