A Typhoon fighter jet takes off from the UK's RAF Akrotiri air base in Cyprus on Mar. 6, 2026. (AP file photo)
British fighter planes will be deployed to help Saudi Arabia defend itself against increasing attacks from Houthi rebels, the U.K. government announced on Oct. 20.
“The U.K. will fly defensive counter air missions to support the protection of Saudi cities and critical national infrastructure against aerial attack, using RAF Typhoon fighter jets,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The move comes after the Houthis launched drone and ballistic missile attacks targeting the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and energy facilities along the country’s coastline.
The statement stressed that the British aircraft would carry out defensive operations only and would not launch offensive strikes against Houthi targets.
The Houthis are fighting Yemen’s internationally recognized government in a civil war, with Saudi Arabia supporting the government.
In addition to the fighter jets, the U.K. will send military advisers and an RAF A400M military transport aircraft to the kingdom.
The announcement came after a major Saudi investment conference has been postponed to next year, as the kingdom comes under repeated attacks from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.
The annual Future Investment Initiative (FII), often dubbed “Davos in the Desert,” was scheduled to take place from Oct. 26-29.
For nearly a decade, it has served as a showcase for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to attract global investors, business leaders and heads of state.
The postponement deals a blow to the kingdom’s ambitions to draw foreign capital, diversify its oil-reliant economy and push its reform agenda.
The decision comes after Riyadh’s international airport, a repeated target of Houthi attacks, suspended operations earlier this month after 13 people were killed in an Oct. 10 strike, with no clear timeline for when air traffic could resume.
It was the deadliest attack on the kingdom in more than a decade.
