Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, eastern Saudi Arabia, suffered extensive damage after an attack attributed to Yemen’s Houthi rebels triggered a fire that spread across several floors of the building, according to people familiar with the incident.
The attack occurred on Tuesday night, October 13, with the fire reportedly affecting the sixth to 10th floors of the office complex, including the upper floors housing the office of Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry, however, described the incident as a limited fire in a statement, highlighting a difference between the government’s public account and the extent of the damage described by the sources.
According to the sources, the fire started on the ninth floor of the building’s south wing before spreading to other floors. The top three floors were reportedly severely damaged, with part of the ceiling collapsing and windows and doors blown out.
Despite the damage, operations at the complex have continued normally, according to two of the sources. Some employees have been asked to work from home, while certain functions have been transferred to the company’s global offices.
Aramco had not immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment as of Wednesday.
Attack Threatens Critical Oil Industry Hub
The Dhahran headquarters houses an operations centre that helps Aramco oversee onshore and offshore oil rigs, refineries, export terminals and thousands of kilometres of pipelines.
The centre’s responsibilities make it an important coordination point for the company, which operates across the oil production, processing and export chain.
However, the reported damage to the office building does not, by itself, establish that Saudi Arabia’s oil production or exports have been disrupted.
The immediate operational impact of the attack remains unclear, beyond the reported remote-working arrangements and the transfer of some functions to overseas offices.
The attack came amid an escalation in fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which has threatened further strikes against Saudi airports and oil facilities.
The Houthis said on Wednesday that they had targeted Aramco facilities in Dhahran, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and an Aramco refinery in Riyadh using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, Reuters reported.
Repeated Attacks on Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has faced a widening series of Houthi strikes in recent days. An attack on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday reportedly killed 13 people, adding to security concerns as the conflict spreads across key locations in the kingdom.
The Houthis have portrayed their attacks as retaliation for Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemeni government forces in the conflict, which intensified again last month amid the wider confrontation involving the United States and Iran.
Implications for Global Oil Markets
The attack on Aramco’s headquarters comes at a sensitive time for global energy markets, with the wider regional conflict raising concerns about the security of oil production and export routes.
Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest oil producers, and Aramco occupies a central position in international crude markets. Any sustained disruption to its production facilities, pipelines or export terminals could have implications for oil supply, shipping costs and prices.
