Riyadh schools shift to remote learning for a week amid rising regional tensions

Riyadh: Schools across Riyadh have been instructed to remain closed for a week, with classes shifting online, according to emails sent to parents on Sunday.

Messages seen by AFP said schools had been informed by Saudi authorities that they must remain closed throughout the week. No official explanation was given for the decision.

The move comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf and a series of attacks targeting Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said on Saturday that it had intercepted drones and ballistic missiles launched towards the kingdom.

The latest attacks are part of an escalation that began in July, when renewed fighting ended a years-long truce in Yemen and drew the country further into the wider Middle East conflict.

Some parents expressed concern over the lack of advance notice and clarity surrounding the school closures.

"When a decision affects an entire school community for a full week, families deserve clear communication and transparency about the reasons behind it," one Riyadh-based parent told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Another Lebanese expatriate living in Riyadh described the announcement as a last-minute decision, saying families had "no clue what's happening".

The United Nations Security Council has also condemned the escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying civilians, including women and children, have been injured in the strikes.

AFP