Aramco building in Riyadh damaged after attempted attack, Saudi ministry says

An administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh was damaged after an attempted attack, Saudi Arabia's energy ministry said, according to Saudi state media. The building is located in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD).

The incident resulted in falling shrapnel that caused minor damage to the building, with no injuries or fatalities reported, the ministry said.

Several witnesses told AFP that Riyadh's financial district was targeted and that the Aramco building was damaged. One eyewitness said, "Aramco tower in KAFD has been targeted, that's the sure thing." Two other witnesses confirmed seeing damage to the building. A Reuters witness reported seeing windows blown out across several floors of the Aramco Tower in KAFD. Video circulating on social media and verified by CNN showed damage to several floors of the Aramco building, with windows seen blown out. Saudi authorities said the impact was minimal.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said its air defences had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh. Coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki said in a post on X that air defences also "intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Riyadh." The coalition also intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles in Riyadh and the southern region, as well as a drone launched by the Houthis. Another ballistic missile launched towards the Eastern Province was intercepted, according to the coalition.

Multiple loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital Riyadh early Sunday. Saudi Civil Defense issued an early-warning alert of a potential threat to the city. Authorities later said the danger had passed.

The Houthis, who have fired missiles and drones towards multiple targets across Saudi Arabia over the last three months, have not claimed responsibility for the Riyadh strike.

The developments came amid escalating fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, following the collapse of a 2022 truce and renewed military operations in Yemen. The Houthis have escalated attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia since a truce in Yemen's war collapsed in July. The Iran-aligned group has carried out attacks on the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, the Ras Tanura and Rabigh oil refineries, and other airports and Aramco facilities across the kingdom.

The latest missile interceptions came a day after the Houthi-run Health Ministry said Saudi-led coalition air strikes had killed at least 33 people, including eight women and 13 children, in the village of al-Shariyah near Sanaa. Health Ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said at least 39 others were wounded in Saturday's attacks, which he said targeted homes, roads, paramedics and Civil Defence teams in the Bani Hushaish district, east of the capital. There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition on the reported strikes, and Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the casualty figures.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the coalition had carried out 105 air strikes and missile attacks over 24 hours, targeting Sanaa and seven other governorates. He put the total number of attacks since the latest escalation began at 4,369. Saree said the Houthis had carried out six operations targeting Aramco facilities, Riyadh airport and Saudi military positions on both sides of the border.

The latest escalation follows a campaign launched by Yemen's internationally recognised government last month to retake territory held by the Houthis, including Sanaa. The group has controlled the capital since 2014. According to the United Nations, more than 1,600 people have been killed and almost 300,000 displaced since a 2022 ceasefire collapsed in July after the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi ports.

Sources

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