Building in Riyadh hit by shrapnel in attack attempt

If you work in Kuwait’s oil and gas sector, or you’ve got relatives flying through Riyadh this week, this is the kind of news worth a second look. Another attempted attack has hit Saudi Arabia’s capital, this time targeting an Aramco office building.

An official source at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said on Sunday that an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh was the target of an attempted attack. It’s the latest in a string of incidents that have put the kingdom on edge in recent weeks, including the shelter warning issued by Saudi Civil Defence on the same day.

What actually happened

According to the Ministry of Energy source, the building was hit by shrapnel that fell during the attempted attack. The damage described is minor. Nobody was hurt, and there were no fatalities.

The source did not give details on how the attack was carried out, what was used, or who may be behind it. Those details are not yet confirmed, so it’s best not to guess at this stage.

Saudi authorities, the source said, reacted quickly once the incident happened. They took the steps they judged necessary, though the statement didn’t spell out exactly what those steps involved.

Why this keeps happening around Riyadh

This isn’t an isolated event. Riyadh has seen a run of security incidents in recent weeks. As we reported on 11 October, the toll from the attack on Riyadh airport rose to 12 dead and over 300 injured, with flight disruptions that followed for days afterwards.

Around the same time, a Saudia pilot was confirmed killed in that airport attack, and India’s embassy confirmed the death of one of its citizens who had been hurt there. Flights to and from Riyadh for some airlines were suspended and later extended, with reports of Indian nationals still in intensive care weeks on.

Aramco itself isn’t new to this kind of threat either. On 21 October, two people were killed when Saudi forces intercepted a drone near the Aramco oil field at Shaybah, with a Pakistani and an Indian national among those injured. And on 20 October, a missile alert over Riyadh ended with the coalition saying the threat was destroyed before it caused harm. A Houthi group had earlier warned of more attacks on Saudi airports, a threat Riyadh has clearly been taking seriously.

What this means if you’re in Kuwait

For most people in Kuwait, this doesn’t change daily life here directly. Kuwait’s own airports, oil facilities and streets are not affected by this incident. But a lot of Kuwait residents travel to Saudi Arabia for work, family visits or Umrah, and many here work for companies linked to the Gulf energy sector.

If you’ve got a trip to Riyadh planned, it’s worth checking your airline’s latest advisories before you fly, since Riyadh-bound flights have been disrupted more than once this autumn. You can also find our latest international news from the region for updates as this story develops.

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