Why Saudi Arabia's Military Has Struggled to Defend the Country Against Houthi Attacks
The kingdom has spent billions on U.S.-made defenses, yet Houthi barrages have still hit airports and killed at least 14 people, officials said.
- Despite possessing one of the world's most expensive military arsenals, Saudi Arabia appears helpless against recent barrages of missiles and drones fired by Houthi rebels from neighboring Yemen.
- The Iran-backed Houthis have transformed into a formidable force, with the United Nations estimating they recruited up to 350,000 fighters by 2024, fueled by Iranian-shared technology and asymmetric warfare tactics.
- Saudi Arabia's border with Yemen stretches more than 1,300 kilometers through rugged desert terrain, complicating interception; ongoing attacks have struck airports and killed at least 14 people.
- Former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney, an adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, called the attacks "a paradigm shift," saying the kingdom must strike back while preventing escalation.
- While Saudi Arabia recently struck defense pacts with Pakistan and Turkey, both countries appear to be limiting support; Andreas Krieg, a professor at King's College London, noted the Houthis gained expertise challenging Israel's air defenses during the Gaza conflict.
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13 Articles
Why Saudi Arabia has struggled to defend itself against the Houthis’ recent attacks
Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s most expensive and sophisticated arsenals, filled with American warplanes, missile defenses and other technology. But in recent days the kingdom has appeared helpless in the face of barrages of missiles and drones fired by the Houthi rebel group from neighboring Yemen.
Saudi Arabia spends $83 billion on defence. Why are missiles and drones still getting through?
Saudi Arabia has invested significantly in defense, spending approximately $83 billion in 2025. Houthi rebels have increasingly targeted critical infrastructure, including airports and oil facilities. The complexity of defending against missiles and drones poses a significant challenge for Saudi air defenses. Recent attack patterns have raised concerns about the effectiveness of current military capabilities.
DESPITE huge investments in state-of-the-art weapons, Saudi Arabia is having a hard time defending itself against Houthi attacks from Yemen. Missiles and drones threaten the kingdom's key infrastructure and economic ambitions.
By Tim Lister, CNN Saudi Arabia spends tens of billions of dollars in defense each year, but has difficulty protecting key assets such as airports, refineries and pipelines from missiles and drones launched by Houthi militants from Yemen. Despite purchasing state-of-the-art U.S. weapons systems
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