A Houthi missile attack targeting Riyadh on Sunday caused physical damage to a Saudi Aramco office building located inside the King Abdullah Financial District, marking a significant escalation in hostilities against the kingdom. According to witnesses who spoke to Agence France-Presse, the glass structure of the Aramco building sustained damage during the assault on the northern capital district, commonly known as KAFD. One witness, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the incident, stated that the Aramco tower inside the financial center was targeted, while two additional witnesses confirmed that the glass office building was visibly damaged.
The strike on the financial district represents the first time the prominent commercial center has been targeted since the start of the escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. KAFD serves as a central symbol of Saudi Arabia's ongoing economic and social initiatives, housing skyscrapers, international corporate headquarters, luxury retail stores, leisure facilities, residential complexes, and a major metro station that accommodates heavy commuter traffic during morning rush hours.
Saudi Air Defenses Destroy Inbound Ballistic and Cruise Missiles
Alongside the damage reported in the capital, the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government announced Sunday morning that it intercepted two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh by the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis. Saudi defense authorities and the Saudi Ministry of Defense later confirmed broader defensive actions across several sectors, reporting the interception and destruction of four ballistic and cruise missiles directed toward Riyadh and the kingdom's southern border region with Yemen.
The morning attacks followed early warning alerts issued for potential threats in both the Riyadh and Najran regions. The Saudi Ministry of Defense subsequently announced that air defense units intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles launched by the Houthi group, with interceptions occurring in the Riyadh region and the southern region. These actions followed an earlier operation hours prior in which Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile launched toward the kingdom's Eastern Province.
Civil Defense Warnings and Cross-Region Interceptions
Ahead of the Eastern Province interception, Saudi Civil Defense activated early warning systems across multiple key eastern municipalities, including Dammam, Dhahran, Abqaiq, and Al-Hofuf, before later confirming that the direct threat to these populated and industrial areas had cleared. Saudi authorities also announced the interception and destruction of an additional cruise missile directed toward the Riyadh area.
The Sunday barrages followed defense engagements that began the previous evening. Saudi officials announced that air defense units had intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle in the Mecca region on Saturday night, as well as two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward the southern border city of Najran, where falling shrapnel was reported following the mid-air destruction of the incoming weapons.