Houthis claim attacks on Riyadh airport, Aramco facilities as Saudi Arabia faces escalating strikes

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a fresh wave of attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh's airport, oil infrastructure and financial district, raising fresh concerns over security in the kingdom.

The claims came on Tuesday after residents in Riyadh reported explosions and received mobile phone alerts warning them of an aerial threat. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had intercepted and shot down a ballistic missile launched towards the capital.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group's latest operations targeted several locations, including pumping stations along Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline in Riyadh, an Aramco facility in the eastern Abqaiq region and military personnel in Yemen.

The attacks come two days after a skyscraper belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) was hit. Saudi authorities had earlier said the building sustained damage from falling shrapnel following an attempted attack.

Images released by the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday showed officials inspecting the distinctively designed Aramco Tower, with visible damage to several floors.

Saudi Arabia faces repeated Houthi attacks

The latest incidents add to a series of near-daily Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia since early October. Previous strikes reportedly caused casualties and forced Riyadh airport to suspend operations for two weeks.

The escalation has also disrupted daily life in the capital. After returning to classrooms for two days, schoolchildren in Riyadh were asked to resume online learning from Tuesday as a precautionary measure, according to a message sent to parents on Monday evening.

Saudi authorities had also reported an attack on the East-West oil pipeline in the Medina region on Monday. Saree rejected that account, calling it a "blatant lie" and insisting that the pipeline targeted was in Riyadh, not Medina.

The pipeline has become particularly important to Saudi Arabia's oil exports after Iran began disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in response to US-Israeli strikes. The route allows Saudi crude to reach the Red Sea without passing through the strategic waterway.

Attacks threaten Saudi Arabia's economic ambitions

The growing security concerns pose a challenge to Saudi Arabia's efforts to diversify its oil-dependent economy and attract foreign investment, tourism and leisure spending.

Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District, with its glass skyscrapers, retail outlets and public spaces, is among the most prominent symbols of the kingdom's economic transformation.

The reported damage to the Aramco Tower has therefore drawn particular attention, coming as the Houthis continue to target facilities linked to the state-owned oil giant. Previous attacks have targeted Aramco tankers, refineries, storage facilities and its headquarters in Dhahran.

Saudi-led coalition strikes Houthi positions in Yemen

The attacks have also triggered military retaliation inside Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition has continued airstrikes against Houthi-controlled positions, with some operations reportedly causing dozens of deaths, according to the group.

On Tuesday, the Houthi news agency reported fresh Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa and surrounding areas. The strikes allegedly hit a gas facility and a building belonging to Yemen's state oil company.

The Houthi health ministry said one person was killed and three others were wounded in the attack on the gas facility.

The Saudi-led coalition first intervened in Yemen's conflict in March 2015, months after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognised government from power. A truce in the long-running conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government unravelled in July, adding to fears of renewed escalation.

AFP inputs