The Saudi Ministry of Energy confirmed that the Saudi Aramco administrative building in Dhahran was attacked on Tuesday evening, October 13. A limited fire broke out, and there were no injuries or deaths.
According to the ministry’s statement, released by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) and reported among others by “Saudi Gazette”, the relevant services reacted immediately and brought the situation under control. The ministry stressed that no employees or people in the area were harmed.
Missile hits office tower
A source at the company, cited by Reuters (as relayed by the Newscord aggregator), provided more details. According to it, the complex was hit by a ballistic missile, and the strike hit the office tower and damaged its three top floors. Dhahran is home to Aramco’s operations centre, which manages drilling platforms, pipelines, refineries and export terminals. The ministry did not specify the type of weapon used, and its statement does not mention any impact on output. Initial reports did not indicate any disruption to production, processing or exports.
The attack is attributed to the Yemeni Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran. As Al Jazeera reports, the Houthis had earlier warned that Aramco facilities were a “legitimate target” after the Saudi-led coalition struck an oil installation in Sanaa. According to the “South China Morning Post”, the coalition attacked oil facilities in western Yemen on Tuesday, including in the Dhamar and Saada provinces. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki wrote that they were used to supply the Houthis’ war efforts.
A week of shelling
The Houthis have been firing missiles and drones at Saudi targets for about a week. Riyadh’s airport has been targeted four times. Interia, citing Reuters, reports that 13 people were killed and more than 300 injured in Saturday’s strike; other sources say at least 18 were killed, so the toll requires confirmation. The Saudi Civil Defense reported that in the capital four people were wounded by shrapnel from intercepted missiles, and 15 houses were damaged.
Foreign leaders have declared support for Riyadh. The Saudi Foreign Ministry announced on X that the crown prince had spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who confirmed full solidarity with the kingdom.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump accused the Houthis on Truth Social of attacking Saudi Arabia to drive up oil prices before the American elections:
“The Houthis are behaving very badly (…) attacking Saudi Arabia and deliberately trying to push up oil prices, probably before the US elections.” — Donald Trump on Truth Social, October 13
Oil and what it means
The market is reacting nervously, but without a sharp spike. According to Bloomberg, Brent crude closed Tuesday below $106 a barrel, while WTI was approaching $95. Trading Economics reports that on Wednesday, October 14, Brent cost about $106.5. Hopes for a US-Russian agreement on diesel exports are restraining price moves.
For drivers in Poland, this means oil remains expensive, and further strikes on Saudi infrastructure could feed through to wholesale fuel prices. For now, nothing indicates that the Dhahran attack has restricted supplies. Key will be further statements from Aramco and the ministry, and any further attacks on production and export facilities.
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