The “Suspicious Aerial Sightings” service in the Tawakkalna app has returned to the spotlight after a video explaining step by step how to report drones and missiles began circulating, as Yemen’s Houthi group keeps up its attacks on targets inside the kingdom.
The Defense Ministry launched the service on March 15, 2026, to allow citizens and residents to get their reports to the relevant authorities in record time. The video shows a user specifying the type of suspicious object, how many were seen, their color, the sound they made and how long they were visible, then pinning the location on a map, with the option of attaching a photo before submitting the report.
When the service was launched, Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman stressed that male and female citizens are key partners in defending the homeland, while ministry spokesman Staff Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said it strengthens the partnership between society and the defense system.
Warning against filming
In early October, the Interior Ministry renewed its warning that filming, publishing or circulating any information about missile and drone interceptions or the places where they come down exposes those responsible to legal accountability, urging people to limit themselves to reporting through Tawakkalna.
The warning followed Houthi attacks on Oct. 6 and 7 that targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha airport, killing three people and injuring 36. The Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed 82 Houthi military targets in Yemen.
The attacks escalated in the following days. The Wall Street Journal reported that an Oct. 10 strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, before the airport was hit again the next day, killing one person and injuring 11. On Oct. 5, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye had held an emergency meeting in Riyadh under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed in August.
