Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
October 22, 2026 | 4:23pm
Saudi Arabia as seen on Google Maps.
Google Maps / Philstar.com screenshot
MANILA, Philippines — One Filipino national has died in Saudi Arabia after a drone shot down by the country's air defenses fell at an oil field on Wednesday, October 21, according to the country's energy ministry.
The drone was trying to hit a processing facility at the field in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, according to the ministry's statement.
A statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) was not immediately available. This report will be updated with their response.
The falling debris set fire to a vehicle owned by a contractor working at the field, outside the facility’s perimeter, but did not disrupt operations, the ministry said.
"The attempted attack resulted in the deaths of two individuals, a Filipino and a Nepali, and injuries to two others, a Pakistani and an Indian, due to falling debris following the interception," the statement read.
The "source" of the ministry "extended sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery," it read.
The Ministry of Energy did not state which entity or state was behind the drone, but the incident comes amid a widening campaign of missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have hit Saudi airports repeatedly this month.
The DFA earlier this week confirmed that the number of Filipinos who have been wounded amid the attacks has risen to seven, with three in critical condition.
As a result of the sustained attacks, the United States has ordered non-emergency US government employees to pull out of the country.