An Aramco building in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District sustained minor damage from falling shrapnel after missiles were intercepted over Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi energy ministry; no injuries or deaths were reported.
The damage was reported on Sunday morning, 8 November. The ministry described the building as having been subjected to an attempted attack. Witnesses told the Associated Press they heard a loud explosion and saw damage across several floors, while the ministry characterised the damage as minor.
The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh by Yemen’s Houthi movement, as well as two cruise missiles targeting Riyadh and other regions, the Associated Press reported. The ministry’s statement attributed the building damage to falling shrapnel; the available reports do not establish exactly which intercepted missile or debris caused it.
Le Monde, reporting with Agence France-Presse, also reported damage to the Aramco building and cited witnesses who said it had been targeted. The coalition blamed the Houthis for the ballistic missiles, but the Associated Press said there was no immediate Houthi claim of responsibility for the attack.
Explosions were heard in Riyadh amid the missile interceptions, but reports do not establish that an explosion occurred at the Aramco building itself. The extent and precise cause of the damage remain unclear.
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