DOMINANT ANGLE
Brussels relays Riyadh's attack via the AFP wire and brings it back to an infrastructure issue: a closed airport, a second one targeted in Dammam, backup platforms threatened.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
At least 12 people were killed and 309 injured in the Saturday, October 10 attack on Riyadh's airport, according to a medical source cited by AFP
- 02
An Egyptian crew member and a Palestinian with Egyptian travel documents are among the victims
- 03
The Saudi-led coalition reported a projectile fell near King Fahd Airport in Dammam, an alternative to Riyadh along with Jeddah
ANALYSIS
Brussels, October 11, 2026. The French-speaking Belgian press is reporting on the attack on Riyadh's airport in the form of a dispatch, following the AFP's lead. La Libre Belgique and La DH have published the same article, titled "At least 12 dead and 309 injured in Saturday's attack on Riyadh's airport", which was posted online on Saturday, October 10 at 10:47 PM and 10:49 PM, and then updated at 11:55 PM.
The death toll is attributed to the AFP: "At least 12 people were killed on Saturday in an attack on Riyadh's airport", a medical source from a local hospital told the agency. The first reported deaths concern an Egyptian crew member working for a Saudi airline and a Palestinian with Egyptian travel documents. Another informed source confirmed the deaths and nationalities of the victims, on condition of anonymity.
La DH had sounded the alarm earlier in the afternoon, at 3:46 PM, under the title "Conflict in the Middle East: Riyadh airport evacuated, what's happening?". Three sources had told the AFP that an evacuation was underway, while local authorities were urging passengers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport. A witness said he had heard an explosion while waiting to board; the other two could not confirm what incident had triggered the measure. The authorities had not officially confirmed the evacuation at the time.
The second part of the story broadens the focus to another site. The military coalition led by Saudi Arabia in support of the internationally recognized government of Yemen announced on Saturday evening that a projectile had fallen near the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in the oil-rich east of the kingdom, just hours after the deadly strike on Riyadh, attributed to the pro-Iranian Houthis. Its spokesperson wrote on X: "Projectile fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam".
The two daily newspapers note that Dammam and Jeddah, in the west, are alternatives to Riyadh's airport, which has been closed since Saturday. The Belgian reader thus retains a sequence of events: explosion and evacuation, human toll, and then a threat to the alternative platforms. The context is that of the kingdom's airport infrastructure and security, without any editorial commentary or European or Belgian reaction in the provided texts.
