Aramco tower in Riyadh's financial district damaged in attempted missile attack
An Aramco administrative building in the King Abdullah Financial District was hit by projectiles, causing façade damage but no casualties, as Saudi air defenses intercepted additional missiles launched by Yemen's Houthis.
Saudi Arabia's energy ministry said an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District was the target of an attempted attack on Sunday, resulting in falling shrapnel that caused minor damage to the structure. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Eyewitnesses told AFP that the skyscraper sustained visible damage, including shattered glass and a compromised façade on several floors. One witness described seeing a projectile strike the building, though the type of projectile was unclear.
The Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh, with loud explosions heard in the capital. The coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki posted on social media that the missiles were launched by the Houthi militia in Yemen.
The King Abdullah Financial District, a centerpiece of the kingdom's Vision 2030 economic diversification plan, houses major Saudi firms, the Public Investment Fund, and the Saudi stock exchange. Targeting the area, which includes residential housing and a busy metro station, would represent a significant escalation in the conflict with the Houthis, who have previously struck Saudi energy infrastructure and other sites.
Andreas Krieg of risk consultancy MENA Analytica told AFP that the attack challenges the credibility of Vision 2030 and raises the political costs of Saudi Arabia's campaign in Yemen. The United Nations estimates that more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000 displaced since fighting resumed in Yemen after the 2022 truce collapsed.