Amidst rising, intense tensions and a series of drone attacks by the Houthis in the Gulf region, an airport and a key oil facility in Saudi Arabia have been targeted. The attacks resulted in the deaths of three individuals—including foreign workers—and left several others injured, among them a Pakistani national.
On Wednesday, a drone attack struck King Fahd International Airport in the eastern Saudi city of Dammam. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed the incident, stating that one foreign national was killed and eight others were injured; some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.
Separately, according to the Saudi Ministry of Energy and the state news agency, the country’s air defense system intercepted and destroyed a drone in mid-air that was targeting the major Shaybah oil field—operated by Aramco—in the Eastern Province. However, falling debris from the drone ignited a fire in a contractor’s vehicle, resulting in the deaths of two foreign nationals—from the Philippines and Nepal—and injuries to one Pakistani and one Indian citizen. The Arab Coalition has claimed that a total of five drones were downed in the eastern region over the past few hours.
In light of the deteriorating situation and the potential for conflict with the Houthis in the Gulf region, the U.S. Department of State has issued an order for all non-essential staff at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, along with their family members, to leave Saudi Arabia immediately. Furthermore, families of American diplomats in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain have also been ordered to leave.
Following these drone attacks and diplomatic activities in the Gulf, concerns have intensified regarding the possibility of a major war in the region and disruptions to the global energy market.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi group stated that the group did not send any drones toward the Saudi city of Medina on Wednesday, nor did it carry out any form of military operation against Saudi Arabia.
This statement from the Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, comes after the Saudi-led coalition had previously announced that it had destroyed five drones heading toward Saudi Arabia.
According to the coalition, the Medina area was among the potential targets of these attacks.
Turki al-Maliki, the spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, stated in a post on X: “Four drones launched toward Saudi Arabia were intercepted and destroyed.”
In a subsequent message, he added that these drones were intercepted over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and the Medina region.
Al-Maliki did not name any party responsible for these attacks; however, he later mentioned that an additional drone had also been intercepted in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia.
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