An attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam has killed one person and injured eight others, as escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia prompted the United States to order non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority confirmed the casualties on Wednesday, saying the injuries ranged from minor to serious. Authorities were also assessing damage to the airport, but did not disclose the nature of the attack.

The incident comes amid a series of attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, with the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen increasingly striking civilian infrastructure, according to the US State Department.

US orders embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia

The US State Department on Wednesday ordered non-essential personnel at its embassy in Saudi Arabia, along with their families, to depart the country.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the Houthis had intensified hostilities against the kingdom, targeting civilian airports and other critical infrastructure and causing casualties and major travel disruptions.

Pigott said the safety and security of US diplomatic personnel and their families remained the department's highest priority.

A diplomatic source told AFP that some families of US embassy staff were also being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain. However, Pigott clarified that the formal departure order announced on Wednesday applied only to non-emergency embassy staff and their families in Saudi Arabia.

Drone interception kills two near Saudi oil facility

The airport attack followed another deadly incident involving a drone targeting Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia's energy ministry said falling debris from the successful interception of a drone aimed at the Shaybah oil field, near the border with the UAE, killed two people and injured two others.

The ministry identified the deceased as a Filipino and a Nepali national. It did not identify who launched the drone.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition operating in Yemen reported intercepting six drones.

Yemen conflict adds to regional tensions

Saudi Arabia has faced near-daily attacks attributed to the Iran-backed Houthis this month. A strike on Riyadh's international airport was also reported among the recent attacks, which have intensified concerns over the security of civilian and strategic infrastructure.

The escalation comes as Yemen's long-running conflict continues to affect the wider region. The civil war began in 2014, and a four-year truce collapsed in June, according to the supplied report. A Saudi-led coalition has backed Yemen's internationally recognised government since 2015.

With AFP inputs