Saudi Aramco has told staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran, on the kingdom’s Gulf coast, and work remotely, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing six people with knowledge of the matter.
AFP, citing three sources, reported that the state oil company ordered the immediate evacuation of the building and told remaining essential employees to work from home until further notice. Most staff had already been working remotely since an attack on the headquarters earlier this month, the sources told AFP.
Aramco did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. It was not clear whether the move would affect the company’s operations.
Yemen’s Houthis caused extensive damage to the Dhahran headquarters when they struck the building earlier in October, with fire spreading across several floors, according to Reuters.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised speech on Thursday that the group had attacked Aramco facilities in the Red Sea city of Yanbu and the Saudi defense ministry in Riyadh. Saudi authorities did not confirm the attacks.
The Saudi-led coalition said on Thursday it had intercepted drones over Riyadh and Medina.
A Houthi attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, near Dhahran, on Wednesday evening killed two people and wounded eight, Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said on Thursday that operations at the airport had resumed.
Brent crude futures rose $3.06, or 2.81%, to $111.88 a barrel by 11:04 GMT on Thursday, after touching $112.55, the highest since May 18.
Saudi Arabia’s main index, TASI, closed 2.32% lower at 9,695.86 on Thursday, its lowest close since April 2021.
