Ollie Watkins’ Family Leaves Saudi After Airport Missile Attack Kills 13

• Ellie Watkins and the couple’s two young children have returned to the UK from Riyadh, with no end date in sight, per Daily Mail.
• A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi movement on Riyadh’s airport killed 13 people, and a second attack at Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport killed two.
• Ollie Watkins stays in Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Hilal, where he has five goals and five assists in eight Saudi Pro League appearances.

A Fresh Start Turns Into A Plot Twist

Ellie Watkins told her TikTok followers that her family has had a plot twist. “We’ve had a bit of a plot twist,” she said. “I have come back to the UK for, hopefully, a little bit. I don’t actually know when.”

She has taken the couple’s two children, Amara, five, and three-year-old Marley, home with her. Ollie remains in Riyadh and will keep playing for Al-Hilal while his wife and children live in the UK.

Ellie explained the decision in plain terms. “There’s just a little bit of conflict and things going on over in Saudi and we basically decided just to stay here until it calms down,” she said.

The Attack Behind The Decision

The trigger was a missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi movement on Riyadh’s airport that killed 13 people. Two more people died in an attack at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Major airports across Saudi Arabia are now running reduced services.

The conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has recently re-escalated, and the Watkins family have decided to leave.

Ellie said the move was about the children. “I felt like I needed to do that for the kids so there is some form of normality until we can get back out there and all be together.”

A Move Built To Settle The Family

The move was meant to settle the family. Ollie and Ellie moved to the Saudi capital in the summer after his £51million transfer from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal, a deal that completed with an emotional farewell to Villa.

Ellie admitted she had broken down in tears over the move, but later felt it was coming together. She said it had “been a lot” and later posted photos of a stylish new living room alongside the message that “everything’s finally coming together and we’re so happy in our new home”.

The family had been redecorating and looking at schools for the children. Those plans are now on hold.

On the pitch, the England striker is producing. He has five goals and five assists in eight Saudi Pro League appearances, and Saudi football experts have suggested he earns “a minimum of £20million a year” tax-free. He is also hoping for an England call-up this week, and Martin Keown has argued that Nicolas Jackson is an upgrade on Watkins.

The Wider Fallout Across Sport

The attack has reached well beyond one family. The 2027 Asia Cup, hosted by Saudi Arabia, has been postponed to 23 December 2027 to 21 January 2028, less than two months before it was meant to start. The new dates still go to FIFA for approval.

The Asian Football Confederation called the postponement necessary in the interest of all teams, officials and spectators, and cited travel disruptions across the region. Nations scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia in the November international window had already moved their friendlies.

The delay helps Premier League clubs, which no longer face losing players for up to a month of the season. Japan had ten Premier League players available, and Aston Villa could have lost goalkeeper Zion Suzuki for five league games. Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and Leeds United’s Ao Tanaka also stay with their clubs.

The Six Kings Slam tennis event in Riyadh has been cancelled, and Formula One intends to go ahead with its Qatar and Abu Dhabi races while it monitors the situation.

What Happens Next

Nobody can say when the Watkins family will be back together. Ellie has given no return date, only the hope that things calm down. For now, Ollie plays on in Riyadh while his wife and children stay in the UK, and a move that was meant to give them stability has left them living in two countries.