The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels said on Saturday, September 26, that it had brought down drones and ballistic missiles aimed at the kingdom. By Sunday, families in the Saudi capital had learned that their children would be studying from home for the rest of the week.
Schools across Riyadh notified parents by email that classes would move online, AFP reported. Two of the notices used the same wording: “We have just been informed by Saudi authorities that schools must remain closed all week.”
No official explanation came with the order, and the timing caught households off guard.
“It’s a last-minute decision. We have no clue what’s happening,” said a Lebanese expatriate who lives in the city.
The closure comes as tensions run high in the Gulf and as the Tehran-backed Houthis carry out attacks on Saudi territory almost every day. Houthi strikes have intensified steadily since July, when fighting resumed and ended a truce that had lasted for years. That fighting also drew Yemen into the wider conflict in the Middle East.
The UN Security Council has condemned the growing number of Houthi attacks on the kingdom, saying they have wounded “civilians, including women and children.”
Another Riyadh parent, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said families should be given the reasons for such a sweeping decision.
“When a decision affects an entire school community for a full week, families deserve clear communication and transparency about the reasons behind it,” the parent said.
