Shrapnel damages Aramco tower in Riyadh
Saudi air defenses intercepted multiple Houthi missiles, leaving the state oil giant's headquarters with broken windows but no casualties.
By Neha Kapoor ·
Falling debris from intercepted missiles pummeled the glass facade of the Aramco Tower on Sunday, sending shockwaves through the King Abdullah Financial District. The strike on the headquarters of Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant marked a tangible escalation in the conflict between Riyadh and Yemen’s Houthi movement, bringing the war to the heart of the capital's business hub.
A witness for Reuters described seeing windows blown out across several floors of the building. An official from the Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed that shrapnel caused minor damage to the administrative structure. The official stated that no one was injured or killed, and that emergency teams had secured the site after responding to the incident.
Saudi Civil Defence issued an early-warning alert as loud explosions rocked the city. Authorities later declared the danger had passed. The Saudi-led coalition announced that its air defense systems successfully intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh. It also reported downing two cruise missiles, one in the capital and another in the kingdom’s southern region.
Major-General Turki al-Maliki, the coalition spokesperson, added that a third ballistic missile targeting the Eastern Province was also destroyed. These interceptions occurred against the backdrop of renewed fighting following the collapse of a 2022 truce. The Houthi-run Health Ministry had reported the previous day that coalition airstrikes near Sanaa killed at least 33 people, including eight women and 13 children.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the coalition executed 105 air strikes and missile attacks over the preceding 24 hours. He stated that the total number of attacks since the latest escalation began had reached 4,369. Saree said his forces conducted six operations targeting Aramco facilities, Riyadh airport, and military positions on both sides of the border.
The intensified exchanges follow a military campaign launched last month by Yemen’s internationally recognized government. That effort aims to retake territory held by the Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa since 2014.
