By Saeed Haider

Saudi Gazette

DAMMAM — Saudi businessmen, corporate executives, students and government officials as well as expatriate residents unequivocally condemned the failed ballistic missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh Saturday night by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and expressed complete solidarity with the Saudi government.

The missile was successfully intercepted by the Saudi armed forces with no significant damage from the debris.

Anger and condemnation spread all over the Eastern Province as news of the attack broke by 8.15 p.m. Initially people were concerned for the safety of civilians in the airport vicinity. By 8:45 p.m., BBC World News reported the attack and quoted Saudi officials saying the threat was dispelled and there were no casualties or injures.

People took a sigh of relief. As it was Saturday many people had gathered at Al-Khobar and Dammam Corniche.

People condemned the “cowardly and dastardly act of the Iranian-backed Houthi regime.”

Sunday morning in offices and market places the main topic of discussion was the attack on Riyadh. People expressed their concern over the nefarious designs of the Houthi militias, which have been targeting the civilian population for quite some time.

Ali Abdul Aziz Kanoo, managing director of Kanoo Group of Companies, deplored “the cowardly act” of Houthi rebels and said it was about time the world powers joined hands to restore legitimacy in Yemen.

“The Houthi rebels have been targeting civilian population in the southern part of the Kingdom and now they are expanding their dastardly act to other parts of the country,” he said.

Kanoo expressed his complete faith in the ability of the Saudi armed forces to thwart any attacks on the Kingdom. He expressed his group’s complete solidarity with the Saudi government.

Abdulrahman Al-Otaishan, president of Ashsrqiya Chamber, said: “The Houthi rebels have exposed themselves by targeting Riyadh Airport, a civilian facility. Saudi Arabia is well equipped to thwart such adventurous and nefarious acts,” he said.

“We as the business community are completely committed to the safety and sovereignty of the country and will leave no stone unturned to support our armed forces in defending our frontiers,” he added.

Saleh Al-Humaidan, business expert and media analyst, said this aggressive and futile act by the Houthi militias proves the cowardly agenda of the Iranian-backed regime.

He said the Houthis were playing a dirty and dangerous game in the region.

Al-Humaidan also expressed complete solidarity with the armed forces and said it was about time the world powers take united action to punish the Houthi rebels and reinstall the rightful government in Yemen.

He said such attacks would only strengthen the determination of the Saudi people and their allies.

Tariq Al-Dosarry, a law student from Al-Khobar, hoped that the world would condemn the Houthis for violating the UN Charter by targeting a civilian facility. “We the people have full faith in the capabilities of our armed forces in defending the nation and repelling such cowardly attacks,” he said.

Several expatriate organizations in Dammam and Alkhobar held meetings to condemn the missile attack on Riyadh Airport and expressed solidarity with the government and people of Saudi Arabia.