Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – Witnesses reported damage to an Aramco tower in Riyadh's business district on Sunday, with Saudi authorities saying a building of the oil giant in the capital had been the subject of an "attempted attack".

Published on: 08/11/2026 - 11:34

Saudi Arabia and its capital have been regularly targeted since October by shots from pro-Iranian Houthi fighters who are fighting against the Yemeni government, supported by the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

But targeting this symbolic district of the capital of the rich oil monarchy could constitute an escalation in the conflict with these allies of Iran, who had accused the Saudi forces of two deadly attacks targeting civilians Friday and Saturday in Yemen.

On Sunday morning, after powerful explosions rang out in Riyadh, a witness told AFP that "the Aramco tower in KAFD was targeted", referring to the "King Abdullah Financial District".

Another said he saw a projectile hit the building, but could not determine whether it was a missile or a drone.

Several floors of the building appear to have been damaged, a witness said, reporting broken windows and visible damage to part of the facade.

“An official source from the Ministry of Energy indicated that an administrative building belonging to Aramco in Riyadh was the subject of an attempted attack today,” the ministry subsequently indicated in a statement published on X.

“Neither injured nor dead”

“The incident resulted in falling debris which caused minor damage to the building, without causing any injuries or deaths,” it added.

The coalition had earlier announced the interception of two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis targeting the capital Riyadh, shortly after the authorities issued a warning message.

The kingdom “intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi terrorist militia towards Riyadh,” Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the coalition, said on X.

The Houthis did not immediately react to these allegations.

Earlier on Sunday, Saudi Arabia also announced the destruction of two cruise missiles fired towards Riyadh and the south of the country.

The Saudi oil giant's facilities have been regularly targeted since the resumption of hostilities with the Houthis in July.

On October 14, Saudi authorities reported a strike against an Aramco building in Dhahran (east), where the company's headquarters is located. Two Aramco employees told AFP that a headquarters tower had been hit.

KAFD is one of the most visible symbols of the economic and social reforms initiated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with its imposing skyscrapers, luxury stores and green spaces.

Civilians killed in Yemen

It is home to some of the kingdom's largest national companies as well as major leading multinationals, such as Goldman Sachs.

The headquarters of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the powerful sovereign fund of the kingdom, as well as that of the Saudi Stock Exchange, are also located in the heart of the district.

It also houses residential housing and a busy metro station during rush hours.

The shooting comes hours after the Saudi Ministry of Education announced the resumption of face-to-face classes in Riyadh, after several weeks of distance learning following a previous wave of strikes.

They also come as fighting appears to be intensifying in recent days on Yemeni soil, where the conflict resumed in July after four years of lull, opening a new front in the war in the Middle East.

The Houthis' health ministry on Saturday reported 33 deaths, including eight women and 13 children, in a bombardment by coalition aircraft against a village east of the capital Sanaa, at the hands of pro-Iranian fighters.

The day before, at least 30 people died in a bombing on a market in the governorate of Taiz (west). Yemeni government forces and the Houthis mutually blamed each other for the attack.

© 2026 AFP

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