An administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh sustained limited damage and scattered debris on Sunday morning following a missile and drone assault that prompted air defense interceptions across multiple regions of the kingdom, according to official statements and eyewitness reports.
Air Defenses Intercept Missiles over Riyadh and the Eastern Region
The joint forces command announced that air defense batteries intercepted and destroyed five ballistic and cruise missiles fired toward Saudi territory. Turki Al-Maliki, the coalition spokesman, stated on the platform X that air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist militia toward the Eastern Region
, alongside subsequent operations that downed two cruise missiles and two ballistic missiles targeting the capital, Al Jazeera reported.
In his statements on the platform, coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki confirmed that air defense forces intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi terrorist militia toward Riyadh. He also confirmed intercepting and destroying two cruise missiles in the Riyadh region and the southern region. The military escalation followed a Houthi announcement detailing six qualitative military operations, which the group said targeted King Khalid International Airport, oil tanks, and a distillation tower belonging to Aramco in Riyadh, as well as a facility in the Al-Dawadmi area near the capital.
Before the explosions echoed across the capital, the General Directorate of Civil Defense issued emergency alerts via mobile networks warning residents that the region is exposed to a hostile aerial threat; please act calmly and stay at home or in a safe place away from windows and doors
, as detailed by Al-Quds Al-Arabi. The warnings were lifted after ten minutes, while residents in northern Riyadh reported that my house shook to the sound of the explosions
.
Damage at King Abdullah Financial District
The Ministry of Energy confirmed that an administrative facility operated by Saudi Aramco within Riyadh experienced an impact from falling debris. A ministry official stated that the attempt to target a building belonging to Aramco in Riyadh resulted in falling shrapnel and limited damage without injuries
, noting that specialized teams immediately secured the site.
Witnesses on the ground reported clear structural damage to the glass facade of the Aramco tower located inside the King Abdullah Financial District, known locally as KAFD. One witness noted that the Aramco tower in KAFD was targeted
, while additional observers described shattered exterior glazing across multiple floors, Arabi21 reported.
#Statement | Ministry of Energy Official: Attempted Attack on a Saudi Aramco Building in Riyadh. pic.twitter.com/Hlu3Aam4wc
The King Abdullah Financial District in northern Riyadh represents a prominent element of the kingdom’s ongoing economic and social reform initiatives, featuring soaring skyscrapers, international corporate headquarters, luxury retail outlets, and a major metro station that experiences heavy traffic during morning rush hours. Media and eyewitness reports indicated that five distinct explosion sounds reverberated through the capital during the interception sequence.