Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has upgraded its travel advice for Saudi Arabia to the highest “Do Not Travel” level after a fresh wave of missile- and drone-related security incidents disrupted operations at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and other major hubs on 23 October 2026. The Smartraveller update – the strongest warning the Australian Government can issue – urges all Australians to postpone non-essential trips, including religious pilgrimages, and recommends that those already in the kingdom have contingency plans to shelter in place or exit by land to neighbouring Gulf states. DFAT cites Houthi threats against Saudi airports and oil infrastructure, repeated air-space closures and flight cancellations, and a heightened risk of attacks on foreign interests as key reasons for the upgrade. For corporate mobility managers the advisory has immediate operational implications. Employers must reassess duty-of-care arrangements for staff on assignment, cancel or reroute business-critical travel, and confirm that travel-insurance policies remain valid under a Level 4 advisory. Global mobility teams should also brief expatriate families about curfews, shelter-in-place protocols and the legal prohibition on photographing military installations. Australian companies with supply-chain links to Saudi Arabia face added complexity. Logistics providers report ad-hoc diversions of air cargo to the UAE and Qatar, while insurers are applying war-risk surcharges on flights transiting Saudi airspace. Organisations should review alternative routings via Muscat or Doha and monitor carrier notices in real time. DFAT reminds Australians who choose to remain that the embassy’s ability to provide consular assistance is severely limited in a conflict zone. Travellers should register their whereabouts, keep their passports and emergency supplies close, and avoid all military and energy infrastructure. The government will continue to track the security situation and update Smartraveller as conditions evolve.
Source: DFAT Smartraveller
