Why did Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud go into hiding?
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, has switched to a mode of moving exclusively between heavily guarded residences equipped with underground bunkers due to the threat posed by the Houthis. According to The Wall Street Journal, a specially selected elite security unit has been deployed to ensure his safety.
Bin Salman was last seen in public on October 6, when he participated in a national blood donation campaign. The emergency security measures being taken are linked to a sharp escalation in missile and drone attacks launched by Yemen's Houthis (Ansar Allah) against the kingdom's territory.
Red Sea clashes and successive strikes on Saudi airports
The conflict, which flared up with renewed intensity in September 2026, poses a serious threat to regional security:
Control over the strategic strait: The Houthis launched an offensive on the western coast of Yemen, capturing the port of Mocha, Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the city of Dubab. The internationally recognized government of Yemen declared a general mobilization and launched a counter-military operation on October 4;
Saudi intervention plans: Riyadh is considering scenarios for direct involvement in military operations — which could include targeted airstrikes around Bab el-Mandeb or a large-scale ground offensive supporting over 100,000 Yemeni troops with Saudi aviation;
The skies declared a "military zone": The Houthis designated Saudi airspace (excluding Mecca and Medina) as a military operations zone, turning the kingdom's airports into open targets;
The tragedy of strikes on Riyadh Airport:
October 6: The international aviation hub in Riyadh, the Saudi Aramco facility in Jeddah, and an airport in the south of the country were targeted;
October 8: A repeat attack on King Khalid International Airport in the capital left 3 people dead and several injured;
October 11: A subsequent massive strike on the airport resulted in 12 deaths (among the victims are citizens of Saudi Arabia, the USA, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Bangladesh, and Sudan), while another 309 people were injured.
Geopolitical deadlock: "No comfortable choices left for Riyadh"
Regional analysts note that Mohammed bin Salman is facing an extremely difficult decision:
Asymmetric warfare trap: According to analysts at Rice University's Baker Institute, any large-scale military retaliation will drag the kingdom deeper into a conflict in which the Houthis have already proven capable of inflicting severe and symbolic damage on strategic facilities;
Risk to economy and investments: Regular shelling of major aviation hubs and oil infrastructure directly threatens Saudi Arabia's global economic reforms and ambitious projects.
The security measures surrounding the Saudi leadership and the situation around the Red Sea indicate that the military confrontation could expand even further.
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