An attack on an administrative building at Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, caused a fire on October 13. It came during a series of attacks on Saudi oil and airport facilities, with Riyadh’s international airport closed until October 17.

Accounts differ on extent of Aramco fire

The Saudi Energy Ministry described the fire from Tuesday night’s attack as limited. CNBC Indonesia, citing three sources, reported that flames had spread across several floors of the building.

Two sources cited by CNBC Indonesia said the oil company’s operations continued normally, with employees working from home. Aramco had not issued an official response. The full extent of the damage and any casualties remained unconfirmed.

Houthis threaten airports and oil sites

The Houthis, the Yemeni movement fighting the Saudi-led coalition, said Saudi airports and oil facilities were legitimate targets. They described their attacks as retaliation for Saudi strikes in Yemen and threatened further operations.

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The group urged shipping companies, civilians and workers to leave those sites. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s office said the Houthis would face consequences for their recent attacks on the kingdom.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree also said the group had struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile. He described a direct hit but gave no timing or casualty details, according to an Anadolu report carried by a Kuwaiti news outlet.

The reported hit could not be independently verified, and it remained unclear whether his announcement concerned a new attack or an earlier one. Separately, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh on Wednesday.

Loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital, CNBC Indonesia reported. Authorities issued an air-threat warning and later lifted it.

Authorities extended the airport closure until October 17, according to CNBC Indonesia. Several airlines also canceled flights to Saudi Arabia.

Renewed fighting restricts aid in Yemen

Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to support the government after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa. A UN-mediated truce in 2022 maintained a fragile peace, but Saudi Arabia resumed its military campaign last month.

The UN World Food Programme said it and its partners could not reach more than 600,000 people dependent on humanitarian aid in Taiz, a government-held Yemeni city. That total included more than 200,000 women and children.