Houthis target Riyadh financial district as witnesses report damage to Aramco tower

RIYADH, November 8 — According to multiple witnesses, Saudi Arabia's financial district and the Aramco tower within it were targeted by missiles launched by the Houthi group. One witness confirmed that the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) was indeed targeted. Two other witnesses backed up this claim by stating they had seen damage to the building.

The 2022 ceasefire, which had paused the Yemeni conflict, was shattered in July, leading to ongoing clashes between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group, who have attacked Saudi airports, energy infrastructure, and military sites. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, seized control of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014, and Saudi Arabia intervened in support of the government a year later.

KAFD is a prominent symbol of the kingdom's economic and social reforms, featuring modern glass skyscrapers, upscale retail stores, and green spaces. Damaging the district would be a significant escalation in the kingdom's conflict with the Houthis. The area also houses residential properties and a major metro station that experiences heavy commuter traffic during the morning rush hour.

The attack occurred shortly after the kingdom's education ministry announced on Saturday that in-person schooling would resume in Riyadh, following weeks of remote learning due to earlier Houthi strikes. The Saudi-led coalition confirmed in a social media post that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi militia towards Riyadh, with loud explosions heard in the capital.

The kingdom has been seeking allies for assistance as it faces continuous Houthi fire, which has been originating from recently seized sections of the Red Sea coastline. Around 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000 displaced since the fighting resumed in Yemen, according to the United Nations. The fragile 2022 truce collapsed after the Houthis allowed an Iranian plane to land in Sanaa, defying Saudi control over Yemeni airspace, which prompted a series of retaliatory attacks.

The Houthis subsequently imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and began striking its ships, territory, and oil facilities, before seizing the entire Red Sea coast in a swift campaign.