The attack targeted King Khalid Airport outside the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Saturday afternoon. Air traffic was halted after the incident, but it was not until late in the evening that the number of injured people became clear.
According to the country's aviation authority, "some" of the at least 309 injured people are being treated for serious injuries. Damage to the airport is being assessed, and it is not yet fully clear how the attack took place, according to officials.
A traveler told AFP that he witnessed an attack in the airport's domestic terminal.
"I was at gate 403 and I saw how 401 was hit. I saw injured people in front of my eyes. Everyone was running," the witness told AFP.
King Khalid Airport has been the target of repeated attacks over the past week. The Iran-backed Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for previous attacks, but has not yet commented on Saturday's events.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen says a rocket was fired towards a military airport in the capital region on Saturday. The coalition blames the Houthis for the attack and says in a statement that the rocket was shot down.
