The administrative offices of state oil company Saudi Aramco were damaged on Sunday by falling shrapnel in the latest escalation between the kingdom and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Saudi energy ministry said the building in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District sustained "minor damage" but no injuries or fatalities were reported. The attack came as the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted ballistic and cruise missiles launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh and the kingdom's southern region. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The group last month hit Riyadh's international airport several times, with the coalition saying 20 attacks in early October killed at least 17 people and injured more than 300. The airport attacks caused significant travel disruption and forced Saudi Arabia to cancel or postpone several major events, including the kingdom's flagship investment conference, commonly known as "Davos in the Desert". The conflict flared up again in July after a truce collapsed following Houthi attacks on Saudi ships in the Red Sea.
Riyadh residents heard multiple loud booms on Sunday morning after the Saudi Civil Defense issued early-warning threat alerts. Employees in the financial district have been told to work remotely in recent weeks.
The latest attacks come as regional states seek to prevent a resumption of hostilities between the US and Iran. Commercial shipping in the Gulf has remained under threat since the start of the Middle East war in February. US forces have been enforcing a blockade in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.
Source: Financial Times Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing