Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy on Sunday confirmed an attempted attack on an administrative building belonging to state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco in Riyadh, hours after Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a series of missile and drone operations targeting strategic and military installations across the kingdom.
An official source at the ministry said falling shrapnel caused minor damage to the building, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. The ministry said the relevant authorities responded promptly to the incident and initiated the necessary measures.
The confirmation followed claims by Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree that the group had conducted six military operations against Saudi Arabia, targeting oil facilities, an international airport and military installations.
According to the Houthis, the operations involved ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, and were carried out in response to what the group described as Saudi aggression against Yemen.
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฐ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ
The attempted strike affected an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District, one of the capital's major commercial centres.
A Reuters witness reported seeing shattered windows across several floors of the Aramco Tower following the incident. Saudi authorities described the damage as limited and confirmed that there had been no casualties.
Earlier, loud explosions were heard in Riyadh after the Saudi Civil Defense issued an emergency warning about a potential security threat. The authorities subsequently announced that the danger had passed. The Saudi-led coalition also reported intercepting missiles launched by the Iran-aligned Houthis towards Riyadh and other parts of the kingdom.
The coalition said its air defence systems had destroyed two ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh and another directed towards the Eastern Province. Two cruise missiles were also intercepted over Riyadh and the southern region.
๐๐ผ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the group's first operation targeted King Khalid International Airport, oil storage tanks and a distillation tower belonging to Aramco in Riyadh.
He asserted that the operation had achieved its objectives, although the extent of the claimed damage could not be independently verified. Saree said the second operation targeted Aramco facilities in Khurais, a major oil-producing area east of the Saudi capital.
The third operation was directed at Pumping Station No. 8 in the Dawadmi area, according to the spokesperson. He further claimed that a fourth operation targeted Saudi military personnel at a National Guard camp in Najran, near the border with Yemen.
The fifth operation allegedly targeted military positions east of Yemen's Al-Jawf Governorate in three stages. The claims concerning the individual targets and the success of the operations could not be independently confirmed.
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
Saudi authorities reported a series of missile interceptions and security alerts across the kingdom on Sunday. Civil Defense warnings were issued in Riyadh and several areas of the oil-rich Eastern Province, including Dammam, Al-Ahsa and Buqayq. The alerts were subsequently lifted after authorities determined that the immediate threats had passed.
The Eastern Province houses much of Saudi Arabia's oil and gas infrastructure, including facilities operated by Aramco.
The latest attempted strike came amid a series of attacks targeting Saudi energy infrastructure, airports and military installations. The Saudi-led coalition has accused the Houthis of using missiles and drones to target civilian and strategic infrastructure, while the rebel group has characterised its operations as retaliation for Saudi military action in Yemen.
๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป
The latest escalation follows the collapse of the 2022 United Nations-brokered truce that had significantly reduced fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement.
Hostilities resumed earlier this year, with both sides carrying out military operations. Saudi Arabia has conducted airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, while the rebels have intensified missile and drone attacks against Saudi territory.
On Saturday, Yemen's Houthi-run Health Ministry said Saudi airstrikes near the capital, Sanaa, killed at least 33 people. Saudi authorities said they were investigating the incident. The renewed fighting has coincided with the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, raising concerns about the possibility of further regional escalation.
The Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, have also been accused of threatening maritime traffic and energy infrastructure in the region.
๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐
The attempted attack has renewed concerns over the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure amid continuing regional hostilities.
Saudi Aramco operates some of the world's largest oil production, processing and export facilities, making the security of its installations important for international energy markets. The kingdom's energy infrastructure has previously been targeted during periods of heightened tensions with the Houthis.
The latest incident also follows attacks on Saudi airports, including an October 10 strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that Saudi authorities said killed 13 people and injured more than 300. While Sunday's attempted strike caused only limited damage to the Aramco administrative building, the continuing missile and drone attacks have increased pressure on Saudi air defence systems.
Saudi authorities have maintained that they will take necessary measures to protect civilian infrastructure and strategic facilities. The situation remains volatile as military operations and retaliatory attacks continue across Saudi Arabia and Yemen.