12 October 2026
Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced on Monday, 12 October 2026, that the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has been extended while safety inspections continue. GACA did not say when operations would resume. On Sunday, 11 October, an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 of the airport, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said; GACA said the attack killed a Pakistani resident and injured 11 others. The coalition also said Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the airport. The Sunday strike came a day after a Houthi attack on the same airport on Saturday killed 12 people and injured 309, according to GACA. Arab News described the Sunday strike as the fourth attack on the airport in five days.
Airport:
King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh
Sunday attack:
1 killed, 11 injured
Saturday attack (GACA):
12 killed, 309 injured
Terminal hit on Sunday:
Terminal 4
Why it matters for exams: Riyadh's main airport and the Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia are central to the Gulf security situation that examiners follow.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GACA General Authority of Civil Aviation — Saudi Arabia's civil aviation regulator, which announces airport closures and casualty figures.
12 October 2026
On Monday night, 12 October 2026, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said its forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki announced the interception on X. Shortly after midnight, the coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards Khamis Mushayt, a city in south-western Saudi Arabia. Residents of Riyadh heard several explosions after a text warning of an aerial threat. Al Jazeera described it as the third day in a row that a Houthi missile attack targeted the Saudi capital. Operations at King Khalid International Airport remained suspended on Monday.
Missiles at Riyadh intercepted:
1 ballistic missile
Missiles at Khamis Mushayt intercepted:
2 ballistic missiles
Coalition spokesman:
Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki
Why it matters for exams: Khamis Mushayt in Asir and Riyadh are frequent targets; the episode shows how the Yemen war has spread to Saudi cities.
Kerala PSCUPSC
11 October 2026
An Indian national injured in the 10 October 2026 attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh died on Sunday, 11 October, the Embassy of India in Riyadh said. The Embassy said it was in touch with the family and would provide all support for the early repatriation of the mortal remains. Gulf News said eleven Indians were among the injured. India TV said the death raised the toll of the Saturday attack to 13. India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the repeated attacks and expressed solidarity with the government and people of Saudi Arabia. The Embassy advised Indians in Saudi Arabia to stay alert and follow local authorities, and listed the 24-hour PBSK helpline 8002471234.
Indians injured (Gulf News):
Eleven
Saturday attack toll after the death:
13
PBSK helpline:
8002471234
Why it matters for exams: Saudi Arabia hosts one of the largest Indian communities abroad, so the safety of Indians there is a recurring India–Saudi theme.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PBSK Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra — The Indian Mission's welfare and help centre for Indian workers and residents abroad.
12 October 2026
The 25th WPC Energy Congress was inaugurated in Riyadh on Monday, 12 October 2026, the first time Saudi Arabia has hosted it in the event's more than 90-year history. Its theme is "Pathways to an Energy Future for All", and it runs from 11 to 15 October at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center. It is the centrepiece of Riyadh Energy Week, which also includes an International Energy Forum ministerial meeting. Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told delegates that "the word fear in the Saudi dictionary does not exist" and called Riyadh "the capital of energy security". He said Saudi Aramco had reached a 70% local content rate. The congress went ahead despite the missile and drone attacks on Riyadh; Arab News said Riyadh expected more than 25,000 attendees.
Edition:
25th WPC Energy Congress
Dates:
11–15 October 2026
Theme:
Pathways to an Energy Future for All
Aramco local content (minister):
70%
Why it matters for exams: Global energy conferences, their host cities and themes are standard current-affairs questions, and Saudi Arabia is the world's leading oil exporter.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WPC Energy World Petroleum Council Energy — The global body that organises the World Petroleum Congress, now called the WPC Energy Congress.
12 October 2026
Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on 12 October 2026, at the 25th WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, that Saudi Arabia plans to raise the capacity of its East-West Pipeline to about 10 million barrels per day. Gulf News and Asharq Al-Awsat said the target is to be reached within two to three years. The pipeline carries crude from the Eastern Province to export terminals at Yanbu on the Red Sea, an alternative to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The minister said the pipeline began under the late King Fahd in the early 1980s and was expanded to 5 million barrels per day following directives issued in the 1990s. Plans include upgrading pumping stations, transmission pipelines and associated gas infrastructure. He spoke in a ministerial session with OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais, who said OPEC estimates about $18 trillion in oil and gas investment is needed through 2050.
Target capacity:
about 10 million barrels per day
Timeline:
two to three years
Earlier expansion:
5 million barrels per day
Red Sea terminal:
Yanbu
Why it matters for exams: Routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz, such as the East-West Pipeline to Yanbu, are a key part of energy security questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
12 October 2026
Saudi Aramco President and CEO Amin Nasser told the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh on Monday, 12 October 2026, that replenishing oil stocks could take approximately two years. He said Aramco is exploring additional crude oil export routes and expanding its storage outside the Kingdom. Nasser said disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on the region's energy infrastructure had revealed how interconnected the global supply chain is. He said the disruptions were adding pressure on crude and refined product markets, particularly diesel. Aramco aims to raise its sales gas by about 80 percent by 2030 compared with 2021 levels. Asharq Al-Awsat said more than 90% of the materials used in restoration work over the past eight months were sourced locally.
Time to replenish oil stocks:
approximately two years
Sales gas target:
about 80 percent by 2030 over 2021
Aramco CEO:
Amin Nasser
Why it matters for exams: Saudi Aramco is the state oil company of the world's largest crude exporter; its plans shape oil supply and prices for importers such as India.
Kerala PSCUPSC
11 October 2026
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman spoke at the opening of the International Energy Forum's ministerial meeting (IEF17) in Riyadh on Sunday, 11 October 2026, which marked the start of Riyadh Energy Week. "I am proud to say that this country, and the city of Riyadh, is the capital of energy security," he said. He said energy security requires cooperation among countries and that the Kingdom would keep meeting its commitments to global markets. He cited the East-West Pipeline, which links Eastern Province production centres to Yanbu on the Red Sea, as an example of investment in supply resilience. He said further pipeline work was under way. The IEF says IEF17 is hosted by Saudi Arabia with Italy and Nigeria as co-hosts, and that Italy will host IEF18 in 2028.
Meeting:
IEF17 Ministerial, Riyadh
Co-hosts:
Italy and Nigeria
Next ministerial:
IEF18, Italy, 2028
Why it matters for exams: The International Energy Forum is the producer–consumer dialogue body for energy, and its ministerial hosts and co-hosts are examinable.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IEF International Energy Forum — An intergovernmental forum that brings energy-producing and energy-consuming countries together for dialogue.
11 October 2026
Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed three memoranda of understanding with ministers from Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt in Riyadh on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The MoU with Kuwait's Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy covers electricity, renewable energy, power grid interconnection, electricity exports, energy storage and smart grids. The MoU with Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida Al-Kaabi covers oil, gas, refining, petrochemicals, clean hydrogen and renewables. It also provides for exploring joint projects on pipelines for the transportation and export of oil and gas. The MoU with Egypt's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi covers trade, transport, storage and distribution of crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas. It includes sharing Saudi experience in opening the liquefied petroleum gas sector to competition.
Number of MoUs:
3
Partner countries:
Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt
Qatar's signatory:
Saad bin Sherida Al-Kaabi
Egypt's signatory:
Karim Badawi
Why it matters for exams: Regional energy pacts, especially on grid interconnection and pipelines, show how Gulf states are linking their energy systems.
Kerala PSCUPSC
11 October 2026
Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Passports began procedures on Sunday, 11 October 2026, to regularise the status of Yemeni nationals living in the Kingdom without legal residency. The move implements a directive of King Salman in response to a request from Rashad Al-Alimi, President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council. Yemenis without identity documents or passports will be granted a free six-month visit visa, booked through the Absher platform. Holders of expired visit visas and visitor IDs whose fingerprints are registered will have their visas extended electronically for six months, provided they hold valid passports. Residents with expired permits and workers reported absent from work who hold valid travel documents can transfer to other employers through Absher, Qiwa and Musaned; Gulf News said the absence category covers workers reported absent before 16 June 2026. The services are offered at designated centres: four in the Riyadh region, two in Makkah, three in Asir, two in Jazan, three in the Eastern Province and two in Al-Jouf.
Free visit visa:
six months
Service centres:
16 (Riyadh 4, Makkah 2, Asir 3, Jazan 2, Eastern Province 3, Al-Jouf 2)
Platforms:
Absher, Qiwa, Musaned
Why it matters for exams: Saudi migration and labour rules, and its ties with Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, matter for questions on the Gulf labour market and the Yemen conflict.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Absher Absher — The Saudi Interior Ministry's online platform for passport, visa and residency services.
Background
India and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations in 1947, according to the Embassy of India in Riyadh. King Abdullah's visit to India in January 2006 produced the Delhi Declaration, and the Riyadh Declaration of 2010, during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit, raised ties to a Strategic Partnership. The Strategic Partnership Council Agreement was signed during Prime Minister Modi's Riyadh visit on 28–29 October 2019. Bilateral trade stood at USD 41.07 billion in FY 2025-26, with Indian exports of USD 10.28 billion and imports of USD 30.79 billion. Saudi Arabia is India's 5th largest trading partner, and India is Saudi Arabia's 2nd largest. About 2.74 million Indians live in the Kingdom, and India's annual Haj quota is 175,025. The safety of this community is in focus after the October 2026 attacks on Riyadh's airport, in which an Indian national died.
Diplomatic relations:
1947
Bilateral trade FY 2025-26:
USD 41.07 billion
Indian community:
about 2.74 million
Annual Haj quota:
175,025
Why it matters for exams: The milestones of India–Saudi ties (Delhi Declaration, Riyadh Declaration, Strategic Partnership Council) and trade and diaspora figures are standard exam material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, also known as Petroline, carries crude oil from the Eastern Province across the country to Yanbu on the Red Sea. Britannica records that Petroline was completed in 1981 from Al-Jubayl on the Persian Gulf to Yanbu, shortening the distance to Europe and avoiding navigation through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The Express Tribune describes it as about 1,200 km long, running from Abqaiq to Yanbu and lying entirely within Saudi territory. It is operated by Aramco, the state energy company. Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister said in October 2026 that the line began under King Fahd in the early 1980s and was expanded to 5 million barrels per day after directives issued in the 1990s; The Express Tribune puts its current maximum capacity at about 7 million barrels per day. The pipeline is in the news because Saudi Arabia now plans to raise its capacity to about 10 million barrels per day.
Western terminal:
Yanbu, Red Sea
Completed (Britannica):
1981
Length (Express Tribune):
about 1,200 km
Operator:
Aramco
Why it matters for exams: Pipelines that bypass chokepoints, and the ports at each end, are a favourite geography and energy-security question.
Kerala PSCUPSC