Kingdom Centre in Riyadh Shifts to Remote Work Amid Houthi Missile and Drone Threats
Management of the 99-story Kingdom Centre ordered all office staff to work remotely after Saudi authorities reported drone interceptions and missile strikes in Riyadh and other regions.
The office tower and mixed-use complex Kingdom Centre in Riyadh instructed its tenants to work from home on Sunday following a series of drone and missile interceptions reported by the Saudi-led coalition. The directive, conveyed in an email to employees, said remote work was mandatory until further notice.
"Please be advised that remote working arrangements are mandatory for all office employees at Kingdom Centre, effective immediately and until further notice," the building management wrote.
The order came after the coalition said it had downed two drones over Riyadh, a third over the Eastern Province, and intercepted two ballistic missiles in southern Saudi Arabia. A separate incident in the Najran region resulted in a helicopter crash attributed to a technical malfunction, killing both crew members, according to coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki.
While the office floors remain closed, the shopping mall at the base of the tower stayed open to the public. Tenants of the tower include several international financial and consulting firms.
The security alerts follow recent attacks in the capital, including a missile strike on King Khalid International Airport that caused multiple casualties and disrupted airport operations, as well as injuries from a projectile that hit a residential area in Najran.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi announced that Egypt is prepared to discuss defensive military support for Saudi Arabia if requested, signaling a possible broader regional response to the Houthi attacks.