A Saudi Aramco tower in Riyadh's financial district sustained damage on Sunday, November 8, after Yemen's Houthi rebels launched fresh missile and drone attacks targeting strategic installations across Saudi Arabia, escalating tensions in the kingdom.
The building, located in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), was damaged by falling debris following what Saudi Arabia described as an attempted attack on an administrative facility belonging to the state-owned oil giant.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy confirmed that the incident caused limited damage to the building but resulted in no injuries or fatalities. The ministry said relevant authorities had responded and taken the necessary measures.
However, images from the scene showed shattered windows across several floors of the Aramco Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Riyadh. Witnesses also reported hearing loud explosions in the capital shortly after authorities issued an early-warning alert.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said its air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh. It also reported intercepting cruise missiles and a drone targeting Riyadh and other parts of the kingdom.
The interceptions came as the Houthis claimed responsibility for a series of military operations against Saudi strategic and military installations.
The group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the operations involved ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, targeting King Khalid International Airport, oil storage facilities in Riyadh and other energy installations.
The Houthis also claimed a separate operation against an Aramco facility in Khurais and other strategic infrastructure. Saree said the attacks had achieved their objectives, although the claims were not independently verified.
Saudi authorities subsequently lifted security warnings issued in Riyadh and parts of the kingdom's southern and Eastern provinces after announcing that the immediate danger had passed.
The latest attacks follow renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis after a United Nations-brokered truce, which had largely reduced hostilities since 2022, collapsed in July.
Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and advanced against the internationally recognised government. The conflict has since involved repeated attacks on military positions, airports and energy infrastructure.
The escalation has also unfolded alongside the wider Middle East conflict, with the Houthis expanding their attacks against Saudi targets as fighting intensifies across the region.
The latest incident followed Saudi-led coalition airstrikes near Sanaa on Saturday, which Yemen's Houthi-run Health Ministry said killed at least 33 people and wounded 39 others.
The ministry accused the coalition of targeting civilian areas, although the reported casualties could not be independently verified. Saudi Arabia said it was investigating the reported casualties.
The damage to the Aramco Tower highlights the growing threat facing the kingdom's commercial and energy infrastructure as the Houthis continue their campaign against strategic targets, despite Saudi efforts to intercept incoming missiles and drones.
