An attack by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels has caused extensive damage to the headquarters of Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company. Following Tuesday’s attack, fire spread across multiple floors of the building. Three individuals with direct knowledge of the incident shared this information with the news agency Reuters on Wednesday (October 14).
The attack targeted Aramco’s headquarters in the eastern Saudi city of Dhahran. According to two sources, the fire originated on the ninth floor of the building’s southern section and subsequently spread from the sixth to the tenth floor.
Another source reported that the top three floors sustained severe damage; this area houses the office of Aramco CEO Amin Nasser. The impact of the fire and explosion caused a portion of the roof to collapse, while windows and doors were blown out.
A fourth individual stated that the fire was still burning as of Wednesday morning. However, the Saudi Ministry of Energy issued a statement describing the incident as a limited fire resulting from Tuesday night’s attack.
Despite reports of extensive damage, two sources indicated that operations at the Aramco complex are continuing normally, although some employees have been instructed to work from home. Another source mentioned that some of the company’s operations have been shifted to other global offices.
This Aramco facility houses a critical operations center that oversees onshore and offshore oil extraction sites, refineries, export terminals, and thousands of kilometers of pipelines.
Consequently, concerns have arisen regarding the damage to the headquarters. However, no detailed information is available yet on whether the attack disrupted oil production or supply.
Meanwhile, while the Saudi Ministry of Energy acknowledged the attack, it did not provide specific details regarding the extent of the damage. Reuters contacted Aramco for comment on the matter but did not receive an immediate response.
Reuters reported that sources indicated the building sustained extensive damage in the attack; however, details regarding the full extent of the damage and the overall impact of the attack remain unclear.
