Suspected Houthi attack damages Aramco tower in Riyadh’s financial district
Saudi authorities said no injuries or fatalities were reported
Saudi Arabian state oil company Armaco’s building in Riyadh was damaged by falling debris following an attempted attack, the kingdom's energy ministry said on Sunday.
There were no injuries, Reuters reported, but windows across several floors of the 32-floor building suffered damage.
The incident occurred after Yemen's Houthis fired two missiles towards Riyadh. The Saudis claimed that they intercepted and destroyed the two cruise missiles after multiple loud booms were heard in the capital.
Houthis, who have fired missiles and drones towards multiple targets across Saudi Arabia in recent months, have not claimed responsibility for the latest attack.
In recent months, the Houthis have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, ports, and oil facilities, becoming another front in the wider Middle East war following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February.
Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The King Abdullah Financial District is marked by towering glass skyscrapers, high-end retail outlets, and green spaces.
Targeting the district marks a significant escalation by the Houthis.
On Sunday, the Saudi Civil Defence issued an early-warning alert of a potential threat in several areas of the oil-rich Eastern Province, including Dhahran, home to the headquarters of Aramco.
Hours later, it announced that the danger had passed.
“An administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh was subjected to an attempted attack,” the official news agency said, citing a source at the energy ministry.
“The incident resulted in falling shrapnel that caused minor damage to the building, with no injuries or fatalities reported.”
The attack came a day after the health ministry in Sanaa said that Saudi airstrikes had killed at least 33 people, including women and children, near the capital.
More than 1,600 people have been killed and nearly 300,000 displaced since Saudi Arabia renewed its war against Yemen in July, according to the UN.