Local residents told France‑Press that a thick column of black smoke and visible flames appeared close to the King Khalid International Airport, the main gateway to Saudi Arabia’s capital.
The sighting was echoed on the Jerusalem Post’s X channel, where an eyewitness claimed to have observed a large plume of smoke rising from the vicinity of the airfield.
Flight‑tracking service Flightradar24 confirmed that the airport was experiencing "serious problems," with numerous flights either cancelled or delayed as a result of the incident.
Iranian news agency ISNA reported that "several explosions" were heard near the same airport, adding to concerns about the cause of the smoke and fire.
No official statement from Saudi aviation authorities had been released at the time of reporting, and the exact source of the smoke, flames or alleged explosions remained unverified.