Vehicles drive along the King Fahad road, a principal transport arteries that links the city's southern and northern districts, in the Saudi capital Riyadh on March 3, 2026. Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Parents across Riyadh received emails from schools on Sunday announcing a last-minute plan to shift to remote learning for a week, according to messages seen by AFP.
"We have just been informed by Saudi authorities that schools must remain closed all week," read two separate messages seen by AFP.
There was no official reason given but the move comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf and near-daily attacks aimed at Saudi Arabia by Houthis.
"It's a last-minute decision. We have no clue what's happening," a Lebanese expatriate living in Riyadh added.
Some social media users also speculated that the decision could be linked to heavy rains forecast for the country.
