🔥 Rising misinformation now Updated · 26 Oct 2026, 15:00 Riyadh
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MisleadingTravel

A Reuters clip about travel routes, not people fleeing

Screenshot of a post that spread the claim on X. Account names and pictures are blurred.

✕ The claim

“People are running away from Saudi Arabia,” shared with a Reuters video clip.

✓ The facts

The Reuters clip is about travel routes, not people fleeing. With Riyadh's airport closed after Houthi strikes until 17 October and about 46% of departures from Saudi Arabia cancelled (Cirium data), many travellers drove to airports in Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE to fly.

What we don't know yet

How many of these travellers were residents leaving for good. No source has measured this.

Spreading in

  1. Englishseen, not counted

Languages seen in our monitoring

Sources

  1. Reuters video report on overland travel to Gulf airports (Timour Azhari)
  2. Khaleej Times, citing Cirium flight data

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