Risks to Middle Eastern energy facilities escalate as Saudi Aramco headquarters reportedly hit and set on fire by Houthi forces

The security risks to Middle Eastern energy facilities have further escalated.

According to media reports citing informed sources, during a missile attack launched by Yemen’s Houthi forces on Saudi Arabia on Tuesday the 13th local time, the headquarters of Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, eastern Saudi Arabia, was hit, causing a fire in parts of the complex, which was later extinguished. It remains unclear what specific damage occurred or if the fire was caused directly by a missile hit or by debris resulting from the interception of incoming munitions.

As of press time, both Saudi Aramco and the Saudi Ministry of Energy have not responded to media requests for comment, and Aramco has not publicly confirmed that its headquarters was attacked. The Yemeni coalition led by Saudi Arabia stated that the Houthis fired missiles at several cities in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, including the capital Riyadh and Dhahran, where Aramco’s headquarters is located. The coalition claimed that debris from interception operations fell into a residential area in Dhahran.

This incident occurred as Houthi forces had already publicly listed Saudi Aramco energy facilities as "legitimate targets" and warned personnel in the vicinity of related facilities to evacuate. If reports of the headquarters attack are further confirmed, it would highlight the rising threat posed by the Yemen conflict to the core areas of Saudi Arabia's energy industry, with regional risks potentially expanding from shipping lanes to oil production and energy enterprise facilities.

Reports Claim Aramco Headquarters Was Hit and Caught Fire, Losses Yet to Be Confirmed

According to Bloomberg, informed sources revealed that during the Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran was struck, which led to a fire in parts of the campus before it was brought under control.

However, the specific circumstances around the incident remain unclear. Bloomberg reported that the extent of the headquarters’ damage is unknown, and it cannot be determined whether the fire was caused by a direct hit or by debris resulting from intercepted incoming missiles. At the time of reporting, neither Saudi Aramco nor the Saudi Ministry of Energy had immediately responded to requests for comment.

The Saudi-led Yemeni coalition stated that on the same day, the Houthis fired missiles at several cities, including Riyadh and Dhahran. The coalition reported that debris resulting from missile interceptions fell into a residential area in Dhahran. This information is not sufficient to independently verify the exact reason for the damage to Aramco’s headquarters.

Dhahran is located in eastern Saudi Arabia, along the coast of the Persian Gulf, and is the core region of the country's oil industry. Aramco's headquarters is based here, and Saudi Arabia's main oil fields are also concentrated in the Eastern Province and the Persian Gulf area. Thus, news of the headquarters attack has drawn much attention, but until the company officially confirms, the extent of loss and actual operational impact remains uncertain.

Houthi Forces Declared Saudi Aramco Energy Facilities "Legitimate Targets" on Tuesday

Prior to this attack, the Houthi forces had openly threatened Saudi energy facilities. According to reports cited by Global Times, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree stated on Tuesday that Saudi Aramco-associated facilities are "legitimate targets" for the group, warning personnel near these sites to leave the area.

The Houthis also extended their threats to other key targets within Saudi territory, including Aramco’s headquarters in Dammam, refinery facilities in Riyadh, and King Khalid International Airport. These statements indicate the Houthis are attempting to include Saudi energy facilities and transportation hubs within their sphere of deterrence.

At the same time, the Saudi-led coalition had previously asked individuals near a Houthi-controlled oil facility in Yemen’s capital Sanaa to evacuate in preparation for possible military actions. The overlapping warnings from both sides regarding energy infrastructure have heightened security uncertainty for the oil industry.

Saudi Energy Exports Under Pressure as Risks Extend from Shipping Lanes to Infrastructure

Recently, Saudi energy infrastructure has been repeatedly affected by conflicts.

Reports indicate that the Jazan refinery in western Saudi Arabia was previously shut down after an attack; a major oil export port on the Red Sea coast has also been targeted. Additionally, a transnational pipeline linking Saudi Arabia’s east and west regions—crucial for crude oil transportation—was temporarily closed last month following an attack from the direction of Iraq.

This pipeline, which crosses Saudi Arabia, holds strategic importance: if passage through the Strait of Hormuz is at risk, Saudi Arabia can use the pipeline to transport crude oil to Red Sea ports, reducing reliance on maritime routes through the strait. However, if Red Sea ports, refineries, or pipelines are themselves attacked, Saudi Arabia’s alternative transport capacity to bypass the Strait of Hormuz could also be compromised.

For the international oil market, the spread of energy risks from shipping routes to production, refining, and export infrastructure means that potential supply shocks may become more complex. Even if crude oil production itself is not directly affected, shutdowns of facilities, port blockages, or pipeline interruptions could limit the speed at which oil reaches the international market.

Currently, the specific losses and operational impacts resulting from the attack on Aramco headquarters still await further confirmation. However, with Houthi forces openly threatening Saudi energy facilities and the Saudi-led coalition continuing military preparations, security risks in the core areas of the Saudi oil industry have become a new variable that cannot be ignored in the Middle East energy landscape.