Fire and smoke reported near Aramco facility in Riyadh

A large plume of smoke and fire was observed rising in the vicinity of a Saudi Aramco facility in Riyadh on Saturday. Witnesses reported seeing flames emerging from the site, and footage circulating online has depicted the scale of the fire.

Saudi authorities have not yet provided official confirmation regarding the incident, and Saudi Aramco has not responded to requests for comment. Consequently, it remains unconfirmed whether the fire was the result of a deliberate strike or an accident.

The incident occurs against a backdrop of escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen. The Houthis have recently increased their efforts to target Saudi cities and energy infrastructure, though there has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the fire in Riyadh.

Tensions have been particularly high in recent weeks. Just last week, the Houthis announced they had launched missile and drone attacks against Saudi Aramco facilities located in Yanbu. At that time, Saudi officials reported that they had intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and the Yanbu area, stating that no damage was sustained by Aramco facilities during those events.