Aramco Orders Dhahran Staff to Work Remotely

Saudi Aramco told staff at its Dhahran headquarters to evacuate and work remotely, six people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Thursday. Nonessential staff had already been remote since the HQ was hit the week before; remaining employees were then ordered to work from home until further notice, AFP sources said. One source said: "There was an evacuation order issued for these staff, no specific reason was given." Two company employees earlier told AFP a headquarters tower's "top three floors were gone" after a Houthi strike this month that spread fire across several floors. Residential areas were not evacuated. A Houthi attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam near Dhahran on Wednesday evening killed two people, a Saudi citizen and an Indian national, and wounded eight; Saudi authorities said operations resumed Thursday. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed attacks on Aramco facilities in Yanbu and the defense ministry in Riyadh; Saudi authorities did not confirm. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted drones over Riyadh and Medina on Thursday. Saree said Saudi strikes have killed and wounded 562 people in Yemen since mid-July. An AFP tally counted 22 killed in attacks on Saudi airports this month. TASI fell 2.5% after the news. Brent rose $3.06, or 2.81%, to $111.88 a barrel by 1104 GMT, earlier reaching $112.55, the highest since May 18. Aramco did not immediately comment. The evacuation reason remained unclear; production and exports were not reported stopped.