Saudi Aramco evacuates headquarters after Houthi attack
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on TimesLIVE
Saudi Aramco has told staff to evacuate its Dhahran headquarters and work remotely after an attack by Houthi rebels, according to six people familiar with the situation. The move follows heavy damage to the building and the deaths of two people when a drone was intercepted near the Shaybah oil site, Reuters reports.
Saudi Aramco, the Saudi state oil company, asked its employees on Thursday to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran and work remotely after a Houthi attack on the building. Six people familiar with the decision confirmed the measure to Reuters. Aramco did not immediately respond to the news agency’s requests for comment.
The evacuation is the first ordered by the company since the start of the war between Iran and its adversaries. An earlier strike in October by the Houthis, an Iranian-backed Yemeni movement, had heavily damaged the headquarters and caused a fire across several floors. The site houses, among other facilities, a centre overseeing Aramco’s wells, refineries, export terminals and pipelines, according to Reuters.
Two people were also killed on Wednesday when Saudi air defences intercepted a drone targeting a facility at the Shaybah oil field. Riyadh says it has intercepted numerous ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis and is carrying out strikes against their launch sites.
The move comes after the Houthis struck Aramco on 20 October. On the same day, the United States ordered US diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia, before Washington also called for non-essential staff to leave Riyadh.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
