Saudi Aramco reportedly ordered employees to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran and work remotely on Thursday, amid escalating Houthi attacks on oil facilities across Saudi Arabia.
Reuters, citing six sources familiar with the matter, reported that it was the first time since the resumption of the war in Yemen in September 2026 that the Saudi oil giant had instructed staff to leave its main headquarters.
Aramco did not respond to the news agency's request for comment.
Bloomberg separately reported that the evacuation followed an alarm at the company's headquarters, citing people familiar with the situation.
The cause of the alarm was not immediately known, while neither Aramco nor the Saudi Energy Ministry responded to Bloomberg's requests for comment.
The evacuation comes just over a week after Aramco's headquarters was targeted in an attack on 13 October, which reportedly caused damage to several floors of the complex.
Reuters, citing three people familiar with the incident, reported at the time that the strike caused extensive damage and sparked a fire that spread across multiple floors.
Bloomberg reported that the attack struck a tower within the office complex, damaging approximately three floors.
However, the Saudi Energy Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the attack had caused only a limited fire and resulted in no injuries or deaths.
Strategic oil operations centre
Aramco's Dhahran headquarters houses a major operations centre responsible for monitoring and coordinating the company's vast oil and gas infrastructure.
The facility helps oversee onshore and offshore oilfields, refineries, export terminals and thousands of kilometres of pipelines.
Its operations coordination centre plays a central role in monitoring production and distribution networks, coordinating activities and responding to disruptions.
According to Aramco's 2017 annual report, the Dhahran operations centre monitors the company's distribution network to ensure continuity and respond to operational problems.
Dhahran, located between Dammam and Khobar in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, is home to Aramco's main administrative, operational and research facilities.
The company also established a research and development centre in the city in 2000.
The surrounding Eastern Province is the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry, containing some of the kingdom's most important energy facilities.
These include the giant onshore Ghawar oilfield and the offshore Safaniya field, as well as major crude processing and export infrastructure.
At Abqaiq, Aramco operates its largest crude oil processing and stabilisation facilities, while Ras Tanura is home to a major oil export port and terminals.
An extensive pipeline network connects the oilfields to processing, refining and export facilities, while the East-West Pipeline transports crude from the Eastern Province to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.
Houthi attacks target oilfield and airport
Thursday's evacuation followed Houthi attacks on Saudi energy and transport infrastructure the previous day.
On Wednesday, Houthi forces targeted the Shaybah oilfield and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in the latest escalation of attacks against the kingdom.
Saudi authorities said the airport attack killed two people and injured eight others.
Airport operations subsequently resumed, with air traffic returning to normal.
Bloomberg, citing the Saudi Energy Ministry, reported that the attack on the Shaybah oilfield had not affected production.
The latest incidents have raised concerns over the security of Saudi Arabia's critical energy infrastructure as the conflict with the Houthis intensifies.
Aramco, one of the world's largest oil producers, operates an extensive network of facilities that are central to Saudi Arabia's economy and global oil supplies.
The evacuation of its main headquarters marks a significant precautionary measure amid the continuing attacks, although there was no immediate indication that Thursday's evacuation had disrupted oil production or exports.