'Yemenis Out!': How Are Saudis Responding To Houthi Escalations?

The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group has notably launched a new set of attacks against Saudi Arabia from Yemen in recent weeks, mainly by civilian drones and ballistic missiles, causing damage to a number of facilities and injuring several Saudis in Khamis Mushait.

Almost six years after the Saudi-Emirati coalition has started its military intervention in Yemen in 2015, the Houthis' attacks are taking a new approach with the intensive drone and missile attacks against Saudi's southern cities, including Najran, Jazan, and Khamis Mushait.

Meanwhile, the Saudi army is responding with heavy airstrikes on cities controlled by the Houthis, including the capital city Sana'a.

This new military escalation has angered many Saudis who have taken to social media to attack the Yemeni residents of Saudi Arabia, arguing that many of them live in the country while they support the Iran-backed Houthi group.

Translation: "How many more live in Saudi and have such great hatred against us? Houthis live amongst us, collect money and send it home so they fight us with our own money!"

Tweeting on the trending hashtag #ترحيل_اليمنيين_مطلب_وطني (Deporting Yemenis is a national demand), many Saudis posted screenshots of online comments made by Yemenis whose profiles say they live in Saudi Arabia, showing their support for the attacks against Saudi.

However, many Saudis took a different stance, demanding that their fellow citizens stop posting what they described as "racist remarks," saying that having a few Saudi-based Yemeni voices with the Houthis does not reflect the stance of nearly 2 million Yemenis living in Saudi Arabia.