Saudi Arabia Shoots Down Houthi Drone Near Mecca

Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday before it entered restricted airspace over the holy city, according to Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned group in Yemen.

Speaking early on Wednesday, Al-Malki said the protection of Islam’s two holiest sites and of pilgrims was a “red line”. He added that the coalition would take the “necessary deterrent measures” against the Houthis.

Drone Intercepted before Mecca Airspace Entry

Al-Malki said the aircraft was taken down before it crossed into prohibited airspace over Mecca. He described the incident as the second Houthi attempt to target the city.

The coalition previously said a ballistic missile was launched towards Mecca in July 2017.

Mecca is Islam’s holiest city and the setting for the annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, which millions of Muslims undertake each year.

Houthi Official Rejects Target Claims

A Houthi official rejected the Saudi claim on Wednesday. Hazem al-Assad, a spokesperson, wrote on X that assertions about targeting Mecca were a “worn-out lie” that had been used before and “no longer fools anyone”.

Saudi Arabia issued security alerts across parts of the country on Tuesday, including in Mecca and other cities, following a week of attacks by Iran-aligned fighters that have increased the kingdom’s involvement in the wider Middle East conflict.

OIC Condemns Attack On Holy City

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned what it called a “heinous” attack on Islam’s holy city, attributing responsibility to the Houthis. The OIC said it represented 57 Muslim-majority countries and decried what it described as the “ongoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.

US Embassy Advises Against Travel After Alerts

The US embassy in Riyadh issued an advisory telling Americans to “reconsider travel” to Saudi Arabia after the alerts in Mecca and other areas in connection with Houthi attacks.

The advisory warned of the “risk of Iranian drone and missile targeting of American interests”, along with the possibility of armed conflict, terrorism, exit bans and local laws covering social media activity. It also said: “Do Not Travel to the Yemen border due to threat of terrorism.”

The Houthis have seized control of parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast overlooking Bab al-Mandab, one of the world’s most important shipping straits. That has raised concerns for Saudi oil exports routed away from the strait of Hormuz.

The group said it has carried out several attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week, including strikes on an airbase on Monday. The Houthis described the attack as retaliation for airstrikes on Yemen.

Join the discussion?

16 September 2026