Saudi Civil Defence issues brief warning of ‘potential danger’ for Mecca city

Saudi Civil Defence on Thursday (September 24, 2026) issued a brief series of alerts including one for Mecca city, home to Islam's holiest sites, in warnings that usually indicate a potential missile or drone threat.

"A warning has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform in Mecca City to alert of a potential danger," it said, with separate warnings for the Red Sea governorate of Yanbu as well as the Taif, Jeddah and Tabuk regions.

The alerts were lifted a few minutes later. In recent weeks, alerts have often preceded attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

Last week, Riyadh accused the group of targeting Mecca for the first time since 2017 with a drone that was downed, an accusation the Houthis have denied.

A few days later, the group attacked the Saudi capital Riyadh for the first time in years, marking a new escalation in the conflict.