Saudi Aramco tells staff to evacuate Dhahran as clashes with Yemen's Houthis continue

Saudi Aramco has instructed its employees to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran amid ongoing clashes with Yemen's Houthi rebels, according to multiple sources. The fighting has escalated between the world's largest crude exporter and the Iran-aligned Houthis, who have targeted the company and Saudi airports. The company has not yet commented on the evacuation or the nature of the threat.

The announcement comes after a wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting oil facilities in Yanbu and the Saudi defense ministry in Riyadh. Houthis spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group had launched attacks on Aramco facilities in Yanbu and the Saudi defense ministry in Riyadh, though Saudi authorities have not confirmed these claims. Saudi Arabia has responded to the attacks with strikes on missile launcher sites and says it has intercepted many ballistic missiles fired by the group.

The renewed fighting marks a break from a 2022 UN-brokered truce that had largely halted cross-border attacks, reopening another front in the US-Israeli war on Iran. The Houthis have caused significant damage to Aramco's headquarters, with fire spreading across several floors. Saudi Arabia has vowed to protect the kingdom and has intercepted many ballistic missiles fired by the group.

In a separate incident, Houthi forces attacked King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia's eastern oil hub of Dammam, killing two people and wounding eight. The airport's operations have since resumed, though the Houthis have warned airlines against using Saudi airspace due to repeated attacks on Saudi airports, including the international airport in Riyadh and the southern airport of Abha.

Brent crude futures climbed nearly 3% to $111.88 a barrel on Thursday, the highest since May, amid concerns over the escalation of the Middle East conflict and its impact on crude oil supplies from the world's key exporting region.