Italy’s foreign ministry (MAECI) published an urgent security notice on Sunday, 11 October 2026, advising Italian citizens and companies to “exercise the highest level of caution” when travelling to or through Saudi Arabia in the wake of Saturday night’s Houthi drone-and-missile barrage that temporarily closed Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the assault, calling it “an intolerable attack on civilian infrastructure and the freedom of movement,” and pledged to coordinate with EU partners on additional security measures. The advisory does not prohibit travel but urges passengers to allow extra time for airport security procedures, monitor airline updates closely, and maintain “heightened situational awareness” in the terminals and on access roads. ITA Airways, Ryanair and Saudia—three carriers with the largest Italy–Saudi traffic—confirmed that Sunday’s evening departures from Rome and Milan operated, but with average delays of 45–90 minutes due to reinforced screening at Riyadh and Jeddah. Travel-management company CWT told clients to expect rolling disruptions “for several days” as Saudi authorities repair minor runway damage and re-sequence arriving slots. From a compliance standpoint, Italian multinationals must now update their corporate duty-of-care programmes. Under Legislative Decree 81/2008, employers sending staff abroad are required to conduct a documented risk assessment; Sunday’s MAECI notice raises the destination risk rating for Saudi Arabia from “moderate” to “high,” prompting many firms to amend pre-trip briefings and insurance riders. Legal advisers also reminded companies that failure to provide adequate security information could expose them to liability in the event of an incident. The episode highlights how geopolitical flashpoints—even those geographically distant from Italy—can ripple through the country’s business-travel ecosystem. Gulf airports are crucial hubs for Italian exports to Asia and Africa, and any prolonged instability would force costly re-routing. Analysts at Sace estimate that a two-week reduction of inbound belly-hold freight capacity via Riyadh could raise logistics costs for Italian SME exporters by 8-10 percent. While most observers expect operations to normalise quickly, the attack underscores the need for contingency planning during a period of heightened Middle-East tensions.
Source: ANSA
