Government agencies in Riyadh have told employees to work from home starting Monday, while the 99-storey Kingdom Centre skyscraper, which houses the regional office of the International Monetary Fund, has also shifted to remote work
More than 45% of flight departures from Saudi Arabian airports have been cancelled since October 8, according to a report by Cirium. Residents in Saudi Arabia are being forced to rethink travel plans, take lengthy detours through neighbouring countries and adapt to remote working amid flight cancellations.
Government agencies in Riyadh have told employees to work from home starting Monday, while the 99-storey Kingdom Centre skyscraper, which houses the regional office of the International Monetary Fund, has also shifted to remote work, according to an AFP report, citing workers and two consultants. Its flagship investment forum, the Future Investment Initiative (FII), was postponed until 2027 on Monday.
“We decided to land in Jeddah,” said the resident on the condition of anonymity. One resident, who frequently travelled to a Middle Eastern country before the closure, said: “I can cope with this situation for a month or more, but I cannot imagine it lasting much longer than that. A Dubai-based consultant said that “no employee is forced to travel to Saudi Arabia” but if a client relationship was at risk they were “encouraged to make the trip by car via Bahrain”. “The Houthis must immediately cease all terrorist operations,” said coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki.
The disruption has also forced Saudi Arabia to postpone or cancel several high-profile events. Announcements have also been made concerning the MDLBEAST Soundstorm music festival, Riyadh Fashion Week and the Red Sea Film Festival. A star-studded tennis tournament has also been affected. “From Jeddah, thank God, everything worked out, and we were able to catch a flight to Qassim. For expatriates, the uncertainty has raised concerns about how long they can manage without regular air connections. Businesses are also finding ways to maintain operations.