Saudi Aramco evacuates Dhahran headquarters amid intensifying Houthi attacks

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Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran and work remotely, according to people familiar with the matter, as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil and transport infrastructure. The move is reported to be the first full evacuation of the company’s main headquarters since the current conflict escalated.

What happened

Six people with knowledge of the decision told Reuters that Aramco instructed employees to leave the Dhahran complex on Thursday and work from home. The company did not immediately explain the reason for the order, and it was unclear how long the remote-work arrangement would remain in place.

Bloomberg reported that the evacuation followed an alarm inside the headquarters. Most staff had already been working remotely after an earlier attack damaged the complex; the latest directive affected the remaining essential personnel on site.

Recent attacks

The evacuation came after a wave of Houthi strikes. On Wednesday evening, an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, near Dhahran, killed two people—a Saudi citizen and an Indian national—and injured eight others. Saudi authorities said airport operations later returned to normal.

Saudi air defenses also intercepted a drone heading toward Aramco’s Shaybah oil field, with falling debris killing two workers, according to the Saudi energy ministry. The Houthis claimed further attacks on Aramco facilities in Yanbu and the Saudi defense ministry in Riyadh, though Saudi officials did not confirm those reports.

Background

Earlier this month, a Houthi attack on the Aramco headquarters caused a fire that spread across several floors of an office tower. Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry described the damage as limited and said there were no injuries or deaths.

The escalation has raised concerns about regional energy security and disrupted travel. The U.S. State Department has ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, citing civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions.

There was no immediate indication that Thursday’s evacuation had affected Aramco’s oil production or exports.