Saudi Aramco Riyadh office hit as Houthi missiles target kingdom

Investing.com -- Saudi Aramco’s administrative offices in Riyadh sustained limited damage in an attempted attack Sunday, as Saudi forces intercepted missiles targeting the capital and oil-rich Eastern Province amid escalating hostilities with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement.

The attack on Aramco’s building in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District caused damage from falling debris but no casualties, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The financial district has operated under remote-working arrangements for nearly a month following earlier attacks, limiting activity at offices in the area.

The incident came as Saudi-led forces reported intercepting ballistic and cruise missiles launched toward Riyadh, alongside additional attacks targeting the kingdom’s southern and eastern regions.

Earlier Sunday, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence authority lifted emergency alerts across several locations in the Eastern Province, including Dhahran, Dammam, Abqaiq and Al-Ahsa.

The warnings were withdrawn shortly before the Saudi-led coalition announced it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired toward the Eastern region by the Houthis.

Dhahran hosts Saudi Aramco’s headquarters, which sustained extensive damage during an attack in October. The Eastern Province contains most of the kingdom’s oil and gas reserves, making its infrastructure particularly important to global energy supplies.

Abqaiq is another major energy hub, housing oil processing facilities critical to Saudi Arabia’s crude production and export operations.

Sunday’s attempted strike in Riyadh follows a series of attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and other strategic locations.

In October, strikes targeting Riyadh’s main airport killed more than a dozen people and injured hundreds, highlighting the growing security risks facing the capital.

The Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones against Saudi airports, ports and oil installations since the regional conflict began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran in February.

Saudi Arabia’s position as a major crude exporter makes attacks on its energy facilities a concern for oil markets, particularly amid continuing disruptions and uncertainty across the Middle East.

Authorities reported no casualties from Sunday’s Aramco office incident, and the latest statements did not identify any resulting disruption to oil production or exports.