A missile attack claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels has damaged a building owned by Saudi oil giant Aramco in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District.
The attack occurred on Sunday after Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense issued an early-warning alert over a potential threat to the capital.
Footage circulating on social media and verified by CNN showed damage to several floors of the building, with multiple windows blown out.
However, Saudi authorities described the impact as minor and confirmed that no one was injured or killed.
The Saudi Press Agency, quoting a source at the Ministry of Energy, reported that an administrative building belonging to Aramco had been targeted in an attempted attack.
According to the report, falling shrapnel caused minor damage to the property, with no casualties recorded.
A witness, however, told CNN that ambulances were seen heading towards the affected area.
CNN said it had contacted Saudi Arabia’s Information Ministry by email to obtain further details.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike, describing it as one of several attacks carried out against Aramco facilities. They also claimed to have targeted Saudi-led ground forces in different parts of Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s defence coalition said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles over Riyadh and the country’s southern region.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki also announced on X that two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh by the Houthis had been intercepted and destroyed.
Saudi Arabia Faces Growing Missile Threats
The latest attack came a day after Yemen’s Houthi-run health ministry accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out airstrikes that killed at least 33 people near Sanaa, including women and children.
Senior Houthi official Mahdi al-Mashat vowed retaliation against Saudi Arabia, accusing the kingdom of committing crimes against Yemenis.
The rebels have repeatedly threatened to continue launching missiles and drones at Saudi targets as long as Riyadh maintains its military operations in Yemen and the blockade affecting Houthi-controlled territory.
Last month, a missile strike on Riyadh’s international airport reportedly killed 13 people, while other attacks also caused fatalities.
Despite its extensive military investments, Saudi Arabia continues to face challenges protecting its territory from repeated missile and drone attacks.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimated that the kingdom spent $83 billion on defence last year, placing it among the world’s biggest military spenders.
Its military arsenal includes American fighter jets, Patriot and THAAD missile defence systems, as well as advanced weapons acquired from France and the United Kingdom.
However, the size of the country and the number of vulnerable military and civilian installations make comprehensive protection difficult.
Security analysts have also warned that the Houthis are increasingly combining ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and long-range drones to overwhelm Saudi air defences.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-backed coalition continues to fight against Houthi advances in Yemen, particularly towards the southern port city of Aden, which remains under the control of the internationally recognised government.
The Houthis have also repeatedly targeted Aden’s airport in recent weeks after taking control of a stretch of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline in September.
The renewed confrontation between the two sides began in July, ending a United Nations-brokered ceasefire reached in 2022 that had largely reduced hostilities.