Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, life calmly goes on amid Iran war
A poster of a magazine cover featuring Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is displayed by vendors at an outdoor market in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 28, 2026. While many of their Gulf neighbors are sheltering indoors from the Iran war, Saudis are spending days and evenings outside, trusting their country's defenses.
Taylor Luck
Hail and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Bags in hand at a Riyadh shopping mall, Hatem Shimri has a simple message.
鈥淭here is no war here,鈥� he says. 鈥淒on鈥檛 believe what you see on TV or read on Twitter. Life is going on as normal, [and] we are living our lives. Come to Riyadh and see for yourself.鈥�
If Saudi Arabia is being dragged into a regional war, its citizens and residents say they don鈥檛 feel it, voicing a sense of calm that is remarkably consistent.
Why We Wrote This
In stark contrast with residents of other Arab countries in the Gulf region, Saudis exhibit a decidedly blas茅 attitude toward the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Conversations focus on jobs and the economy and reveal a calm faith in their government鈥檚 ability to provide security.
Neighboring Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates issue daily phone alerts for residents to shelter indoors from incoming Iranian drones and missiles that are hitting hotels and residential towers. But Saudis are out en masse in outdoor markets, shopping malls, food courts, and cafes.
Across the country is a mixture of confidence, trust in its leadership and the United States鈥� security umbrella, and belief that the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran will wrap up before its impact is felt in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has perhaps the most to lose from a widening regional war, yet among Gulf Arab citizens, Saudis are worrying the least. Even an Iranian missile strike that wounded a dozen Americans at an air base an hour outside Riyadh on Saturday didn鈥檛 appear to shake Saudis鈥� confidence.
While Saudi Arabia鈥檚 oil exports reportedly have been reduced by 40% because of Iran鈥檚 closure of the Strait of Hormuz, gas here is still $2.20 per gallon 鈥� one of the lowest prices in the world. Saudi Arabia imports 80% of its food, yet the prices of clothes, food, and electronics have not gone up, even as the conflict disrupts air travel and global shipping.
While airports are closed in Kuwait City, Doha in Qatar, and Manama in Bahrain, and partially closed in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, dozens of domestic and international flights land and take off daily at Riyadh鈥檚 gleaming King Khalid International Airport.
To be sure, Iran and its proxies target U.S. bases and infrastructure in the kingdom with missiles and drones on a daily basis, but the majority are knocked down by Saudi and U.S. air defenses 鈥� at a cost of millions of dollars each day 鈥� contributing to Saudis鈥� sense of safety and calm.
Instead of the war, Saudis returning from Eid holidays talk of finding jobs, university studies, which stocks to invest in, and where to vacation.
鈥淭hose who are not following the news closely outside the region may think Saudi Arabia and the Gulf is a region full of explosions and war,鈥� says Rakan Qahtani, a fourth-year ophthalmology student in Riyadh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the wrong image.鈥�
鈥淭rust in our government鈥�
In conversations 鈥� both private and on the record聽鈥� Saudis expressed a trust in their military and a feeling of security that is at odds with the rest of the Gulf.
鈥淧eople are all going out freely, there is no fear, no problems have happened,鈥� says Faisal Muteb, a university student at King Saud University, who was hitting the streets in Riyadh to record interviews for an assignment.
鈥淲e have trust in our government and their orders. We know their thinking is completely in citizens鈥� interests,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e are relaxed.鈥�
As of Sunday, Iran had targeted the kingdom with 815 drones and 65 missiles, the Saudi Defense Ministry said. But Tilal, an Uber driver from Taif, says his concerns are not Iranian drones, but when he can land a steady job.
鈥淲e are all looking for stable work and building our future,鈥� says Tilal, who moved to Riyadh three months ago. 鈥淔or many of us from outside towns and villages, we are all coming to the capital to get ahead.鈥�
鈥淲e are focused on starting companies, completing our higher education degrees,鈥� says Nour, an entrepreneur in Riyadh who did not wish to use her full name. 鈥淪audi Arabia has gone through a transformation, and we are a growing economy and country. Our focus is development and progress, not war.鈥�
鈥淲e want to live in peace鈥�
At a crowded outdoor market in Riyadh, outside a mosque, prayer-goers haggled on Friday over boxes of dates, incense, vegetables, and fruits.
鈥淲e Saudis only fear God. We want to live in peace. This is between two escalating sides [Iran and Israel]. It is not our war, and the war hasn鈥檛 reached here,鈥� says Khaled Rahman, selling nuts and spices from the back of a pickup truck, along with his most popular item, Iranian saffron, a key ingredient in Saudi coffee.
A lone jet roared overhead. Later, the Ministry of Defense said it destroyed six ballistic missiles and two Iranian drones targeting Riyadh that day.
On Iran, 鈥渢he only future is for us to live side by side,鈥� Mr. Rahman says with a smile. Besides, he adds, 鈥渢heir saffron is the cleanest.鈥�
鈥淟iving a normal life is not ignorance, but a deliberate show of strength and resilience,鈥� says Khalil Shamiri, a retired businessman in Hail, in northern Saudi Arabia.
鈥淓very Saudi knows the cost of this war,鈥� he notes, but 鈥渨e won鈥檛 stop our joy, celebrating Eid, working or enjoying life. Iran can鈥檛 intimidate us.鈥�
U.S. 鈥渕ust finish the job鈥�
Support for the security partnership with the U.S. is high, and there鈥檚 a general sense that the kingdom鈥檚 fortunes lie with a continued alliance with Washington.
Ibrahim, a university student from Mecca who did not wish to use his full name, says he spotted an Iranian drone over Riyadh two days earlier that was knocked down. Like many, he is confident the kingdom鈥檚 security and economy will hold up, but is eager to see the Iranian regime 鈥渇inished.鈥�
鈥淎mericans must finish the job. We can鈥檛 live next to an Iran that hits every country and holds the world hostage. We know the Americans won鈥檛 just start a war and leave,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he Iranians don鈥檛 have a single friend in this world for a reason. They don鈥檛 behave like a normal state.鈥�
All wanted the kingdom and the other Gulf states to avoid entering the war and escalating the conflict.
鈥淚f Gulf states weren鈥檛 wise, they would hit Iran right back,鈥� says Walid Sharif, a Riyadh driver. 鈥淏ut instead, they practiced restraint. Because Gulf states know if they enter the war, even if they win, there will be large costs: to their economy, to the lives of their people,鈥� he says.
At the same time, Saudis told the Monitor they would support Saudi offensive action against Iran should it damage the country鈥檚 critical infrastructure.
鈥淭he crown prince ... gave the Ministry of Defense orders to strike Iran if they target our desalination plants or electricity networks. Water and energy are the red lines,鈥� says Ibrahim. 鈥淚f we strike Iran, all the country will be united backing it.鈥�