Pakistan condemns targeting of Aramco building, demands Houthis cease all attacks against Saudi Arabia

Pakistan on Monday condemned the Houthi attack on Saudi oil giant Aramco’s corporate office in Riyadh, demanding that the rebel group “immediately and unconditionally” cease all attacks against Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

On Sunday, an Aramco building in Riyadh was tar­geted in an “attempted attack”, the Saudi energy ministry said, which damaged the skyscraper. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack.

Aramco facilities and infrastructure have been repeatedly targeted by the rebels in Yemen in recent months, including tankers, refineries, storage areas and the company’s headquarters as the Middle East conflict has expanded.

In its statement on Monday, the FO stressed that the targeting of civilian infrastructure demonstrated a “reckless regard for human life and regional security” and demanded the Houthis cease all attacks against Saudi Arabia “immediately and unconditionally”.

“Fortunately, no casualties were reported,” the FO said and went on to commend the “vigilance and swift response” displayed by Saudi authorities in “confronting this unjustifiable and unprovoked aggression”.

Expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia, the statement added that Pakistan stood resolutely with the leadership of the kingdom and “reaffirm our full support for all measures necessary to safeguard its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

It added that Saudi Arabia’s security was of “paramount importance” to Pakistan.

“Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our Saudi brothers and sisters remains steadfast,” the statement said.

Pakistan has condemned Houthi attacks multiple times, terming them a grave violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty.

Islamabad and Riyadh have signed two defence pacts aimed at collective deterrence, the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between the two and the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement that also includes Turkiye.

Under the Makkah Defence Alliance, Pakistani, Saudi and Turkish leaders met in Riyadh last month and agreed to deploy military forces and capabilities rapidly in the kingdom.

Pakistan is providing “whatever support is needed” to defend Saudi Arabia amid the Houthi attacks, the military’s spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in mid-October.

However, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general also clarified that all members of the Makkah Defence Alliance were “absolutely clear […] that this alliance has no offensive intent; it is purely defensive”.

Sunday’s attack came hours after the kingdom’s education ministry announced the return of in-person schooling after weeks of remote learning in Riyadh following an earlier wave of strikes.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki, in a Sunday morning social media post, said that “air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi terrorist militia towards Riyadh”, as loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital.

“Aramco tower in KAFD has been targeted, that’s the sure thing,” an eyewitness told AFP, referring to the King Abdullah Financial District. Two other witnesses confirmed seeing damage to the building.

The King Abdullah Financial District is one of the most visible manifestations of the kingdom’s ongoing economic and social reform drive, with towering glass skyscrapers, high-end retail outlets and green spaces dotting the area.

The district is home to some of the kingdom’s biggest domestic companies and international firms such as Goldman Sachs.

The headquarters of the kingdom’s influential sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, and the Saudi stock exchange are also located in the heart of the district.