Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) - The Saudi Ministry of Energy announced on Sunday that an Aramco oil company building in Riyadh was subjected to a “targeting attempt” and was hit by shrapnel, after the Saudi-led coalition announced the interception of two ballistic missiles launched by the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis towards the capital.

Published on: 08/11/2026 - 09:35 Last updated: 08/11/2026 - 11:04

Witnesses told Agence France-Presse that an Aramco oil company building in the King Abdullah Financial Center in Riyadh was hit on Sunday morning, while explosions were ringing out in the capital.

The official Saudi News Agency (SPA) reported a statement from the Ministry of Energy, quoting an official source in the ministry, saying, “One of the administrative buildings belonging to Saudi Aramco in the city of Riyadh was subjected to a targeting attempt today, Sunday, which resulted in shrapnel falling on the building, and limited damage to it, without any injuries or deaths.”

A witness, who requested to remain anonymous, told Agence France-Presse, “The Aramco Tower in Kafed was targeted,” referring to the name of the center based on the abbreviation of its name in English. Two other witnesses confirmed damage to a number of floors in the glass building.

A fourth witness said that shattered glass and damage could be seen on part of the tower's exterior facade on more than one floor.

A fifth witness said he saw a projectile hitting the building, but he was unable to determine whether it was a missile or a drone.

One of the witnesses indicated that ambulances arrived at the scene in the morning, while the police imposed a security cordon and prevented employees from entering the area.

Civil Defense sent warnings via telephone to residents, which were lifted after ten minutes, stating, “The area is under a hostile air threat. Please act calmly and stay at home or in a safe place away from windows and doors.”

A resident north of the capital said, "My house shook from the explosions."

Agence France-Presse reporters reported hearing at least five explosions, some of which were unprecedentedly powerful.

Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki wrote in a post on the X platform, “The air defense intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Riyadh.”

Targeting first

This is the first time that this important area in Riyadh has been targeted since the beginning of the current escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, which began in July and has escalated since then.

The King Abdullah Financial Center area in northern Riyadh is one of the most prominent images of the ongoing process of economic and social reforms in the Kingdom, as it is dotted with tall skyscrapers, headquarters and offices of international companies, luxury stores, and picnic areas.

The area also includes residential complexes and a large metro station that witnesses heavy traffic during the morning rush hours.

Schools in Riyadh informed parents of students that students were in “safe and fortified places,” on the first day of in-person education in the capital after about a month of distance education.

Aramco buildings, pipelines, storage facilities, and refineries have been targeted since the start of the latest escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen in July, and they have launched almost daily attacks on the Kingdom since the beginning of last month.

Last month, the Houthis announced that they had targeted the headquarters of Aramco, a huge complex that includes several buildings and residential complexes in the city of Dhahran in the east of the Kingdom. Saudi officials stated that a building in the area where Aramco's operations center is located was attacked, while two company employees who spoke to Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity said that a tower inside the main headquarters was hit.

Exchanged blows

The Houthi attack came on Sunday morning, the day after the Houthis announced the killing of 33 people in Saudi raids on Sanaa.

The official spokesman for the Houthi Ministry of Health and Environment, Anis Al-Asbahi, stated that "the toll of the horrific massacre committed by the Saudi aggression in the village of Al-Shariya in the Bani Hashish District, east of the capital, Sana'a (...) rose to 33 martyrs and 39 wounded."

The Houthis announced on Saturday that they were targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and facilities belonging to the Aramco oil company, in addition to Saudi military concentrations in the Kingdom and Yemen.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarie said, “The Yemeni armed forces carried out six specific military operations,” one of which “targeted Khalid International Airport, oil tanks, and the distillation tower of Aramco” in Riyadh, in addition to a facility in the Dawadmi area near the capital.

On Saturday night and Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition announced the interception of a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards the oil-rich eastern region.

The Houthis escalated their attacks with missiles and drones on Saudi Arabia, targeting its airports in particular. The most violent attack on Riyadh Airport on October 10 resulted in 14 deaths and about 300 wounded.

In total, 26 people have been killed in Houthi attacks since last September, including 23 in attacks on Saudi airports.

As a result of the war in the Middle East, a truce that had been in effect in Yemen since 2022 between the Houthis and the Yemeni government forces supported by Saudi Arabia collapsed in July.

The battles resumed between the two parties, and the Houthis achieved progress on the ground, taking control of the western coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait area, whose importance to Riyadh increased in exporting oil, after Iran practically closed the Strait of Hormuz.

In early October, the Yemeni government, with the support of Riyadh, began a counter-attack to regain areas controlled by the Houthis.

© 2026 AFP

The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.