Prior to the ongoing wave of instability through much of the Middle East set off by the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran in February 2026, Saudi Arabia was emerging as a burgeoning tourist destination to rival the nearby United Arab Emirates.
In each year following the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the number of international tourists who came to the Gulf nation rose by approximately 6% to 29.3 million in 2025.
This growing demand caught the attention of major U.S. airline Delta Air Lines, which had been planning to launch a new route to Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH) from Atlanta later this month in October 2026.
U.S. State Department Saudi Arabia travel advisory, urges Americans to ‘reconsider travel’
But amid repeated strikes that the Islamist paramilitary Houthi group has been launching on Saudi Arabia’s main airport (the worst one on Oct. 10 killed 13 travelers and injured hundreds of others), King Khalid International remains closed to passenger traffic. Most international airlines, including Delta, have canceled service into the country into 2027.
The U.S. State Department has also raised its Saudi Arabia travel advisory to level three’s “reconsider travel” while issuing periodic updates about the situation on the ground and dangers to Americans who choose to remain there.
Read more: National airline GOL cancels all U.S. flights due to low demand
Prior to the outbreak of violence, Saudi Arabia was ranked as level two’s “exercise increased caution” on the four-tier system used to rate countries based on how safe or dangerous the government considers them to be for American travelers.
Along with the warning on “potential attacks on airports, airspace closures, flight cancelations, and travel disruptions,” the State Department tells Americans to avoid filming or photographing any drones, missiles, or sites that could potentially be targeted by them.
“Do not photograph, film, or share information about missile or drone interceptions or impact sites,” the travel advisory reads, adding that “U.S. citizens have been detained for not adhering to these regulations, including taking photos of government buildings, airports, and impact sites.”
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‘Do not photograph, film or share information about missile or drone interceptions:’ Saudi Arabia travel advisory
While the past travel advisory had already focused on strict laws about social media content that may be deemed offensive or critical of the Saudi government, a new addition warns travelers that war-related posts could especially cause problems including detention.
Past punishments for American visitors determined to be breaking Saudi laws included being “deported, fined, imprisoned or subject to an exit ban.”
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“Saudi authorities may detain you if they consider your social media posts or other online activity to be critical, offensive, or disruptive to the public order,” the updated advisory now reads.
In its decision to push back the launch of the Atlanta-Riyadh flight until March 2027, Delta named the “evolving developments in the region” and “the safety and security of our customers and employees” as what will “continue to guide” decisions on whether and when to launch the planned route.
Related: Delta Air Lines will exit an entire market until March 2027