An administrative building owned by Saudi oil giant Aramco in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District has suffered minor damage from falling debris following a Houthi missile attack early on Sunday.
The attack occurred shortly after the Saudi civil defence issued an early-warning alert warning of a potential threat to the city, reports CNN.
Multiple loud explosions resonated across the capital, and verified social media footage showed blown-out windows spanning several floors of the Aramco facility, although Saudi authorities reported that the overall impact remained minimal.
While official sources reported no casualties or injuries, an eyewitness observed ambulances heading towards the area.
The Saudi-led coalition reported that its air defence forces intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles as well as two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh and the southern region by Houthi forces.
Turki al-Maliki, coalition spokesman, confirmed the interception of the ballistic missiles on social media platform X.
Media outlets, including CNN, have requested further details via email from the information ministry.
Although the Houthis have launched numerous missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets over the past three months, the group has not officially claimed responsibility for Sunday’s strike.
The incident follows a warning on Saturday from Mahdi al-Mashat, a senior Houthi official, who promised retaliation against Saudi Arabia after Saudi airstrikes killed at least 33 people, including women and children, near the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
Houthi representatives maintained that missile and drone operations against the kingdom will continue while Saudi airstrikes and naval blockades persist over Yemeni territory.
Escalating clashes
Renewed clashes between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia reignited in July, breaking a UN-brokered ceasefire established in 2022.
In Yemen, the coalition is attempting to halt Houthi advances towards the southern port of Aden, currently held by the internationally recognised government. After capturing a section of Yemen’s Red Sea coast in September, Houthi forces have repeatedly targeted Aden’s airport.
This follows a missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport last month that killed 13 people, alongside separate deadly strikes on the facility.
Saudi Arabia remains one of the world’s top ten military spenders, having allocated $83 billion to defence last year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Despite acquiring advanced American fighter jets, Patriot and THAAD air defence systems, and European weaponry, the kingdom faces extensive security challenges across a territory one-fifth the size of the United States, bordered by threats from Iran, Iraqi militias, and the Houthis.
Military analysts mention that the Houthis have developed tactics combining ballistic and cruise missiles with long-range drones to overwhelm defensive positions, forcing the defence ministry to make difficult strategic decisions regarding installation protection.
