Parents in the Saudi capital have no date for their children's return to class. A plan to reopen schools in Riyadh collapsed after three days, Semafor reported on Wednesday. Officials then sent students back online.
The education ministry had split Riyadh into 10 zones. Under the plan, schools would reopen one neighbourhood at a time. After the reversal, officials set no new date. Each school now decides for itself, and most have chosen to stay online, according to Semafor.
Houthi strikes on the city have gone on for almost a month, the outlet reported. They have not slowed. Missile alerts still ring several times a week, sometimes more than once a night.
Business has slowed too. The King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh's business hub, is largely empty. Office towers above 10 floors are still closed. Semafor said many businesses have sent staff home. It compared the slowdown to the COVID-19 period, when schools also went online.
Some foreign workers asked to work from abroad. They were told there was no need to leave. Still, the restrictions mean many people cannot work from their offices. Nobody seems to know how long this will last, the outlet said.
For months, Riyadh kept up an image of business as usual despite the war. That has become harder, Semafor reported. The city has postponed events, from tennis tournaments to conferences. For residents, the question now goes beyond when the attacks will stop. They want to know how long life will stay on hold.
Saudis are coping with humour, the outlet said. One joke online calls remote schooling a wise precaution with one side effect. The Houthis, it says, now face their deadliest enemy yet: mothers stuck at home with their children, praying against them.