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Saudi Aramco Evacuates Dhahran Headquarters as Houthi Strikes Escalate in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Aramco ordered staff out of its Dhahran headquarters on Thursday after Houthi strikes damaged the building earlier this month. Brent crude rose 1.3 percent to $114.61 a barrel Friday as Gulf markets slid.

By admin Oct. 23, 2026 · 6:53 PM ET 2 min read

A large oil refinery complex with distillation towers and pipes lit up at dusk

Saudi Aramco told staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran and work remotely on Thursday, six people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The order was the first time the company had asked staff to leave its headquarters since the Iran war began. Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A large oil refinery complex with distillation towers and pipes lit up at dusk
An oil refinery complex at dusk. Aramco ordered staff out of its Dhahran headquarters on Thursday.

The evacuation followed an escalation of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis. Earlier this month, the group caused extensive damage to the company’s headquarters, with fire spreading across several floors, according to Reuters. The facility hosts an operations center that helps the world’s largest oil company oversee onshore and offshore oil rigs, refineries, export terminals and thousands of kilometers of pipelines.

Oil pumpjacks silhouetted in a desert landscape at sunset
Oil pumpjacks in a desert landscape. Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities have intensified this month.

Two people were killed on Wednesday after Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone that was attempting to hit a facility at Aramco’s Shaybah oilfield. Saudi Arabia has answered the Houthi attacks with strikes on missile launcher sites, saying it has intercepted many ballistic missiles fired by the group.

Gulf markets fall as oil climbs

Stock markets in the United Arab Emirates fell on Friday, with Dubai’s main index dropping 1.4 percent to a more than four-month low, weighed down by a 3.5 percent fall in top lender Emirates NBD Bank and a 2.1 percent decline in developer Emaar Properties. Abu Dhabi’s benchmark index fell 1.2 percent: real estate giant Aldar Properties slipped 3.7 percent, energy shipping firm Adnoc L&S dropped 3.9 percent, and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank fell 3.7 percent despite reporting a 15 percent rise in third-quarter net profit to 3.56 billion dirhams ($969.26 million). Dubai and Abu Dhabi posted weekly losses of 2.3 and 2.2 percent, respectively, according to LSEG data.

Glass skyscrapers of a Middle Eastern business district at dusk
Skyscrapers in a Gulf business district at dusk. Dubai’s main stock index fell to a more than four-month low on Friday.

Oil prices, a main driver of Gulf financial markets, drifted higher on Friday as the attacks raised concerns about further disruption to Middle East energy supplies. Brent crude rose 1.3 percent to $114.61 a barrel by 1148 GMT, Reuters reported, as Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia heightened fears of a wider regional conflict.

Rows of white oil storage tanks with pipelines at an industrial terminal
Oil storage tanks at an industrial terminal. Brent crude rose to $114.61 a barrel on Friday.
A supertanker oil ship on calm open water under a hazy sky
An oil supertanker at sea. Traders are watching Middle East energy supplies for further disruption.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters.

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