Aramco Tower in Riyadh's Financial District Damaged During Houthi Missile Attack

A Saudi Energy Ministry official said an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh had been "targeted in an attempted attack", according to Reuters. The official said falling debris caused limited damage and that no one was injured or killed. Witnesses described more serious damage. One told AFP: "Aramco tower in KAFD has been targeted, that's the sure thing." Two others confirmed seeing damage, and another said several floors appeared to be hit, with glass shattered and part of the facade affected.

Reuters separately reported that a tower in the district had been struck by a projectile, citing one witness and three people briefed on the matter. It said the projectile's origin had not been established, and that it was unclear whether the tower was hit directly or by debris from an interception. Saudi authorities did not respond to the agency's requests for comment.

The district matters beyond the damage itself. The King Abdullah Financial District is Riyadh's main business hub and a showcase for the kingdom's economic reform programme. It includes office towers, housing and a major metro station that is busy with commuters on weekday mornings. In April, Semafor reported that authorities had told businesses to keep staff away from the district because of fears of Iranian missile or drone strikes.

The coalition's spokesman, Turki al-Malki, said air defences had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles that the Houthis fired towards Riyadh. The coalition later said it had destroyed two cruise missiles over Riyadh and the kingdom's southern region, and that it had intercepted a Houthi drone in the eastern region. Saudi Civil Defense issued an early-warning alert in the capital, where loud explosions were heard, and later said the danger had passed.

Fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has intensified since a 2022 truce collapsed in July. Since then the Houthis have struck airports, energy facilities and military sites in the kingdom and declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, according to AFP. On Sunday morning, the Houthi-run health ministry said air strikes had killed 33 people near the Yemeni capital. Reuters could not verify the figure. The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced since fighting in Yemen resumed.

The attack came a day after Saudi Arabia's education ministry announced that Riyadh schools would return to in-person classes after weeks of remote learning that followed earlier strikes on the capital. Several Yemeni officials told AFP that thousands of Syrian troops are due to deploy to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and that some are already there.

It is still unclear whether the Aramco building took a direct hit or was struck by debris, and Saudi authorities have given no detail on the damage beyond the energy ministry's brief statement.