Debris from attempted attack damages Aramco tower in Riyadh; no injuries

What happened

An administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco, the kingdom's state oil company, was damaged by falling debris after an attempted attack in Riyadh on Sunday, Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said. The ministry described the damage as limited and reported no injuries or deaths.

A Reuters witness saw blown-out windows across several floors of the Aramco Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the capital's King Abdullah Financial District. AP also quoted witnesses who heard a loud explosion Sunday morning and described damage across multiple floors. Saudi Civil Defense had issued an early-warning alert before booms were heard, then said the danger had passed.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said its air defenses intercepted missiles aimed at Riyadh and other regions and blamed the Iran-aligned group. Accounts of the number differ: Reuters reported two cruise missiles over Riyadh and the south, while AP reported two ballistic and two cruise missiles. Aramco was not immediately available for comment, and the Houthis had not made a statement about the building, according to Reuters.

Why it matters

Saudi Arabia is one of the world's largest oil exporters, and attacks on its energy system have moved prices before. No report so far says Sunday's incident affected oil production or exports; the damaged building is an office tower, not a production site. Oil futures were closed when it happened. Brent crude settled Friday at $98.32 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate at $90.83, Xinhua reported, after a steep weekly slide that CNBC put at more than 16%.

What’s next

the first oil trading session Sunday evening U.S. time, any statement from Aramco or the Houthis, and whether attacks reach production or export sites rather than offices. The Houthis have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities since fighting resumed in July, Reuters reported.