Saudi Aramco Orders Full Evacuation of Dhahran HQ Amid Intensifying Houthi Strikes

Saudi Aramco has directed remaining staff at its Dhahran headquarters to evacuate and shift to remote work indefinitely, according to six sources cited by Reuters and corroborated by Bloomberg and AFP reporting on October 22, 2026. This marks the first headquarters evacuation since the resumption of major hostilities in Yemen earlier this year. The move follows a Houthi ballistic missile strike earlier in October that damaged an administrative tower, with sources describing fire spreading across multiple floors and the top three levels severely affected, including areas near CEO offices. Operations have continued without interruption, but the precautionary step comes amid a broader wave of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi airports and energy infrastructure, resulting in at least four deaths in the Eastern Province this week alone—including two at Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport. Residential compounds near the HQ have not been evacuated. The escalation ties into renewed Saudi-Houthi clashes, with Iran-aligned forces responding to coalition strikes and threatening further hits on oil facilities. This development underscores vulnerabilities in critical energy infrastructure and raises questions about corporate continuity planning under sustained geopolitical pressure.