Saudi civil defence issues alerts, then all-clear, for Makkah, Jeddah, Taif and Yanbu

MAKKAH — Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency broadcast "potential danger" warnings for four western provinces on 24 October 2026 and withdrew them minutes later, according to Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera.

The alerts covered the Makkah region, which includes Islam's holiest city, as well as Jeddah, Taif and Yanbu, Middle East Eye reported. It said the agency gave no reason for the warnings. Residents were told to "proceed to the nearest safe place," the outlet said.

The all-clear

Two Al Jazeera Telegram channels later posted breaking-news items saying the civil defence had announced that the danger had passed in Jeddah, Yanbu and Taif. Al Jazeera Arabic posted at 08:29 GMT and Al Jazeera Mubasher at 08:31 GMT. Both are social media posts, and Zenga News has not independently verified them. The posts as seen name Jeddah, Yanbu and Taif. They do not mention Makkah.

Middle East Eye, in a live-blog entry published at 08:52 GMT, said all the alerts had been rescinded minutes after they were issued. It did not give a precise time for the warnings or say how long they lasted. It also did not say how many residents received them.

The agency also repeated a legal warning against sharing images or information related to "countering missiles and drones," according to Middle East Eye. The outlet did not say what penalties the warning referred to.

Coalition statement on missiles

Separately, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis, Anadolu Agency reported. The missiles were launched toward Taif and Yanbu, according to the coalition.

"Two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi militia toward the cities of Taif and Yanbu were intercepted and destroyed," coalition spokesman Brig. Gen. Turki al-Maliki wrote on X, as quoted by Anadolu.

Anadolu published its report at 09:43 GMT on 24 October. The article did not say when the missiles were launched or where debris may have fallen. It did not report any casualties or damage.

What is not confirmed

None of the sources available to Zenga News states that the civil defence alerts were issued because of the two missiles. Middle East Eye said the agency gave no explanation. The coalition statement named only Taif and Yanbu as targets. It did not mention Makkah or Jeddah.

The two accounts overlap in place and in date. Two of the four cities in the alerts, Taif and Yanbu, are the cities the coalition named. Whether the alerts and the interceptions were part of the same event has not been confirmed by the civil defence agency or the coalition in the material reviewed.

There is also a discrepancy over the day. Middle East Eye's report describes the alerts as having happened on Friday. Its entry and the other sources carry timestamps of 24 October 2026. Zenga News has used the publication date of the sources and has not resolved the difference.

The Houthis had not commented in the sources reviewed. There was no information on whether they claimed the launches. Saudi authorities had not published a statement explaining the alerts in the material seen. The sources contain no information on damage, injuries or deaths.

Background

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen's government against the Houthis since 2015, according to Anadolu. The Houthis have controlled Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country since 2014, the agency said.

Anadolu described the latest incident as part of escalating hostilities between the Houthis and the coalition. It said these included attacks targeting Saudi airports and energy facilities. The report did not list specific earlier attacks or give dates for them.

Yanbu, a Red Sea port, was described by Middle East Eye as a coastal oil hub. Jeddah was described as a major Red Sea city. Makkah is described in the same report as home to Islam's holiest city.

The civil defence agency's warning against sharing images or information about missile and drone interceptions is a repeat of earlier messaging, according to Middle East Eye, which said the agency "repeated" it. The outlet did not say when the warning was first issued.

Zenga News will update this report if the civil defence agency, the coalition or the Houthis give further details on the alerts or the interceptions.