Houthi Missile Hits Aramco Building in Dhahran as Saudi Strikes Continue in Yemen

An administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Dhahran was hit during a Houthi missile attack on 13 October, causing a limited fire that was later extinguished. Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said there were no deaths or injuries at the site.

A company source told Reuters that a ballistic missile struck an office tower inside the headquarters complex, damaging the top three floors. Six people reported hearing explosions near the complex before the coalition announced interceptions. The Dhahran campus houses a major operations centre for Aramco's network of oil fields, pipelines and export terminals. Operations continued without interruption, according to the ministry.

The strike followed an explicit warning from Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree. Earlier on Tuesday he listed the Aramco headquarters in Dhahran, a Riyadh refinery and King Khalid International Airport as targets and urged civilians to leave the areas. The Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Saudi cities for more than a week in response to Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.

Saudi civil defence said debris from two intercepted cruise missiles fell on residential neighbourhoods in Riyadh, injuring four people: two women, one man and one child. Fifteen homes suffered limited damage. The coalition reported destroying three cruise missiles and two drones aimed at the capital and southern regions, plus a ballistic missile heading toward Dhahran and another toward Haradh in Al-Ahsa.

Hours earlier the Saudi-led coalition had struck oil sites in western Yemen, including a fuel depot near Sanaa. The Houthis responded by launching further projectiles. Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport has remained closed since a Saturday strike that killed 13 people and injured more than 300. Civil aviation authorities extended the closure until 17 October.

The escalation has raised oil prices and complicated shipping through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. Aramco has not commented publicly on the extent of damage at Dhahran beyond the ministry statement. Saudi officials have said energy facilities remain protected by layered air defences, yet repeated interceptions still produce falling debris in populated areas.

The current round of fighting follows a period of relative calm after earlier truces. Houthi statements frame the attacks as retaliation for coalition strikes on their territory. Saudi statements describe the actions as necessary to degrade Houthi missile and drone capabilities. Neither side has indicated an immediate pause in operations.

Debris from previous Houthi missiles has landed in residential areas of Riyadh and other cities during earlier rounds of the conflict. The 13 October incident is the first reported strike on the Aramco headquarters complex itself in this phase of fighting. Further launches remain possible as both sides continue to exchange fire.