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Falling debris damaged an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District early on Sunday, November 8, after Saudi air defenses intercepted missiles fired toward the capital, the Associated Press reported. Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said no one was killed or injured.
The ministry described the incident as an attempted attack and said falling shrapnel caused limited damage to the building, according to Reuters. A Reuters witness reported blown-out windows across several floors of the Aramco Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the district. Aramco was not immediately available for comment.
The Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles aimed at Riyadh and other regions early Sunday. It accused the Iran-backed Houthis of launching them. A Reuters witness heard several loud booms in the city shortly after Saudi Civil Defense issued an early-warning alert. Civil Defense also issued and then lifted warnings for parts of the Eastern Province, including Dhahran, where Aramco has its headquarters.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group struck Riyadh's financial district and other targets. He called the attack a response to recent strikes in Yemen that the Houthis blame on Saudi Arabia. Al Jazeera reported that the Houthis also claimed attacks on Aramco oil storage tanks, on King Khalid International Airport and on an Aramco facility in Abqaiq. Saudi authorities did not confirm those claims, and Al Jazeera said it could not verify them.
The attack is the latest in a sustained campaign. The Houthis have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities since fighting resumed in July, ending a 2022 truce brokered by the United Nations. An October 10 attack on King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, according to Saudi authorities. Aramco's headquarters also suffered extensive damage in a separate attack in October.
Saudi Arabia has carried out its own airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Houthi health officials said strikes on a village east of Sanaa on Saturday killed dozens of people, mostly women and children. Saudi authorities said they were investigating. Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt and Syria condemned Sunday's attacks on the kingdom.
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