Aramco headquarters hit when Houthi missiles hit Saudi Arabia | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — Saudi Aramco’s executive headquarters in eastern Saudi Arabia was hit during a missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi militants on Tuesday, causing part of the complex to catch fire, the kingdom’s energy ministry said.
The attack on an office complex in Dhahran caused a limited fire and no injuries, according to the ministry. The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said Houthi missiles hit several cities in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, including the capital Riyadh.
Shrapnel from the intercept landed in part of a residential neighborhood in Dhahran, the coalition said. Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The missile launches are part of a wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent days that have also targeted airports across the country and left at least 18 dead and hundreds injured.
The latest Houthi attacks came after the Saudi coalition warned people near an oil field in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa to leave the area “for their safety”.
Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure has also been targeted during escalating hostilities with the Houthis.
The Jazan refinery in the west of the kingdom has been closed since the earlier attack, while a key oil export port on the Red Sea coast was also targeted. The cross-country pipeline, which was Aramco’s main means of getting oil to world markets, was temporarily shut down last month after an attack launched from Iraq.
Dhahran, located along Saudi Arabia’s Persian Gulf coast, is the heart of the kingdom’s oil economy. In addition to Aramco, the region is also home to a university specializing in petroleum engineering and a major air base. Saudi Arabia’s largest oil fields are located in the deserts of the Eastern Province and in the Persian Gulf.
–With the help of Sheriff Tarek.
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