Oil giant instructs remaining essential staff to work remotely until further notice as strikes on energy and transport infrastructure kill four.
Saudi Aramco has ordered the complete evacuation of its headquarters in Dhahran and instructed all remaining essential staff to work remotely until further notice, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter, as Yemen’s Houthi movement intensifies attacks on the kingdom’s energy facilities and airports.
The directive, issued on Thursday, marks the first time the world’s largest oil company has required a full headquarters evacuation since the start of the broader regional conflict involving Iran and its allies. Six people with knowledge of the situation told Media the order came a day after deadly strikes on a nearby airport and an Aramco oilfield. Bloomberg reported that the move followed an alarm at the complex; the precise reason for the alert was not immediately clear.
Aramco Evacuates Dhahran Headquarters After Houthi Attacks:
Most non-essential employees had already been working from home since a Houthi strike earlier this month that caused extensive damage to the Dhahran headquarters, with a fire spreading across several floors, three people with direct knowledge of the incident told Reuters. Only essential personnel had remained on site until the latest order cleared the premises as a precautionary measure. Residential areas within the sprawling complex were not evacuated, sources said. Aramco did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The decision comes amid a sharp escalation in Houthi operations against Saudi targets. On Wednesday, two people were killed and eight injured in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, about 15 kilometres north of Dhahran, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation. Separately, two people died after Saudi air defences intercepted a drone targeting a facility at Aramco’s Shaybah oilfield in the southeast, the energy ministry said.
Houthi forces, aligned with Iran, have claimed a series of strikes on Aramco infrastructure and Saudi airports in recent weeks, describing them as retaliation for Saudi-led coalition operations in Yemen and the wider regional war. The group’s earlier attack on the Dhahran headquarters damaged multiple floors of a tower that houses parts of Aramco’s operations centre, which helps oversee onshore and offshore oil platforms, refineries, export terminals and thousands of kilometres of pipelines. Saudi authorities have said they intercepted numerous missiles and drones while conducting strikes on Houthi launch sites.
Escalating Houthi Attacks Disrupt Saudi Arabia’s Energy Sector:
The evacuation underscores growing security pressures on Saudi Arabia’s critical energy sector at a time of heightened regional tension. Dhahran, in the Eastern Province, is the heart of the kingdom’s oil industry and the operational hub for Aramco, the world’s biggest crude exporter. Disruptions there carry potential implications for global energy markets, though there has been no indication of a halt to production or exports.
Financial firms operating in the kingdom have already shifted some staff to remote work in response to the recent wave of attacks, and major events, including investment conferences, have faced postponements. The United States has also ordered the departure of some non-emergency diplomatic personnel and their families from Saudi Arabia due to the elevated threat.
Saudi officials have repeatedly vowed to protect the kingdom’s territory and infrastructure, emphasising interceptions of incoming projectiles. The Houthis, for their part, have signalled that attacks will continue. As the conflict deepens, the temporary shift of Aramco’s headquarters operations to remote working reflects the tangible impact of the escalating exchanges on daily life and business continuity in the Eastern Province.