Saudi coalition intercepts missiles over Riyadh, damaging Aramco building

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted a series of incoming missiles targeting Riyadh and other regions on Sunday, with falling debris causing damage to the administrative building of state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco.

A loud explosion echoed through the capital on Sunday morning as two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles were intercepted overhead, according to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition. Falling shrapnel struck the King Abdullah Financial District, damaging several floors and exterior glass of the Aramco building. The Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed the structure sustained minor damage, while authorities reported no injuries or casualties.

The attack prompted a brief red alert in Riyadh issued by the Saudi Civil Defense, though authorities later declared the threat had passed.

The incident follows a dramatic escalation in regional hostilities. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, which is controlled by Houthi rebels. Officials from the rebel group reported that those strikes killed at least 27 people.

While Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have frequently targeted Riyadh and adjoining regions in the past, they did not immediately claim responsibility for Sunday’s attack. However, the Saudi-led coalition directly accused the Houthi movement of launching the ballistic missiles. In a separate incident overnight, the coalition reported that air defences intercepted another ballistic missile targeting the kingdom’s southern region bordering Yemen.

The wider regional conflict has intensified since fighting resumed in July, opening another front in the broader West Asia war. That conflict escalated following United States and Israeli strikes in February that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and led to a double blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—a crucial maritime chokepoint carrying a fifth of global crude flow.

Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure have previously proven deadly. On October 10, a Houthi strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and injured more than 300, according to Saudi authorities.