RIYADH: The Saudi Civil Defence had issued an emergency alert early Monday following the activation of air raid sirens across Al-Kharj Governorate, south of Riyadh, at a time of heightened military tension between Iran and Israel.
Saudi authorities said the public alert was broadcast in Al-Kharj by the National Early Warning Platform, asking citizens and residents to take immediate actions according to civil defence instructions and seek appropriate refuge and safe places.
The warning, issued amidst fresh Iran-Israel missile exchanges, fueled concerns over a wider regional conflict.
The abrupt emergency announcement was met with apprehension among residents, especially since Al-Kharj is home to Prince Sultan Air Base, a military installation with substantial military assets, and was previously viewed as a sensitive security area in the Gulf.
Nevertheless, the Saudi Civil Defence said minutes after issuing the warning that the risk had passed, officially withdrawing the alert. The announcement was carried on social media.
In its notification, the authorities also told Saudi citizens and residents to stay alert, while cautioning them and resident foreigners to continue taking all precautionary safety measures in their residences.
The sudden alarm was broadcast amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Middle East.
Iran and Israel exchanged missile strikes for the first time since earlier this year, with explosions reported in Iran’s capital, Tehran, and other Iranian cities, and Israel launching air defense systems in reaction to incoming missile strikes.
The escalating tensions between Iran and Israel followed a wave of missile strikes by Houthi rebels in Yemen targeting Israel, and worries over the expansion of the conflict to neighbouring Gulf states.
Global leaders have called on all parties to show maximum restraint amid growing fears of the widespread impact of these events on regional security and stability, as well as on global trade and energy markets.
Saudi authorities did not identify the precise source of the alert; however, the warning underlines a heightened state of alert across the Gulf region as the Iran-Israel standoff continued