Fire, Smoke Seen Near Aramco Facility in Riyadh After Alleged Houthi Strike

RIYADH: A large plume of smoke and fire was seen rising in the vicinity of an Aramco facility in Riyadh on Saturday, a witness told Reuters, amid unconfirmed reports of a Houthi strike on the Saudi capital — the latest alleged Aramco Riyadh fire.

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Witness account and satellite data

Video circulating online showed towering flames and a vast cloud of black smoke over the capital on Saturday morning. NASA’s FIRMS satellite monitoring system detected higher-intensity thermal hits across the refinery, and open-source imagery appeared to show thick smoke drifting over Riyadh.

Despite the dramatic footage, the cause of the fire could not be independently verified. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities, and Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Open-source analysts cautioned that while the fire itself appeared real, attributing it to a strike remained unverified.

Aramco Riyadh fire adds to pressure on Saudi energy sites

The reported incident comes amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, who have stepped up attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure in recent months.

On September 8, a wave of Houthi attacks wounded 73 people and ignited fires at oil facilities and utilities across the southern cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, according to the Saudi-led coalition’s spokesman; the Energy Ministry said operations at the affected sites were temporarily suspended.

A fire broke out at Aramco’s Jazan refinery — which processes 400,000 barrels of crude a day — in July, and the facility was attacked again in August. The Houthis also declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea in July.

Unclear who was behind the fire

No immediate claim of responsibility was issued for Saturday’s fire. Last month, black smoke rose from the fuel storage area at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, after which the Houthis said they had attacked “sensitive” sites in the Saudi capital.

The incident underscores how deeply the conflict spreading from the US-Israeli war on Iran has entangled Saudi energy infrastructure. What began with attacks and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz after the war erupted in late February has increasingly spread into the Red Sea, where the Houthis reopened a front against Riyadh in July after the collapse of a ceasefire that had largely contained major fighting since 2022.

Read more of our coverage of the region in the Middle East section. This story is also available on the main Watan News site.