Damage to a prominent commercial tower in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District has heightened concern over the widening conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement. Footage circulating on Sunday showed smoke rising from the Al-Aqiq commercial tower, also known as “Villas in the Sky,” with shattered glass and visible damage to its upper floors and façade.
The reports have not been fully reconciled with Saudi coalition statements. The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh. A witness quoted by Agence France-Presse, however, said the Aramco offices in the financial district had been targeted. The building reportedly houses offices for Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company.
Authorities have not publicly provided a detailed account of how the tower was damaged or confirmed the extent of any injuries there. Information about missile attacks is tightly controlled, and the available accounts differ on whether a projectile struck the building directly or whether damage resulted from an intercepted missile or its debris.
The strike claim comes after weeks of rising Houthi attacks on Saudi targets, including Riyadh’s airport and energy infrastructure. The movement has also made territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast against forces backed by Riyadh, adding pressure on Saudi Arabia as the conflict deepens.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for a series of missile and drone operations against Saudi Arabia. He said six operations had targeted the kingdom using ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles. Saree said one operation had targeted King Khalid International Airport, oil storage tanks and an Aramco distillation tower in Riyadh, and claimed it had achieved its objective. He said the attacks were retaliation for Saudi actions in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has rejected Houthi claims that the movement demanded $51 billion to end the war, saying no such demand was made. Gulf sources cited in reporting have maintained that the Houthis made the demand, which they reportedly framed as compensation for damage caused by years of Saudi airstrikes.
The latest developments followed a report from Yemen’s Houthi-run health ministry that Saudi airstrikes killed at least 33 people near Sanaa. Saudi authorities said they were investigating the reported deaths.
The conflict has escalated since a 2022 truce collapsed in July, according to the account. The Houthis have since launched missiles and drones at Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities. The renewed fighting has also unfolded amid a wider regional war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, with Saudi Arabia increasingly exposed to attacks by the Iran-backed group.
Analysts and regional officials say the Houthis may be intensifying their campaign to ensure they have a place in any settlement. A Yemeni source previously suggested that the group wants to strengthen its position against the internationally recognised Yemeni government before negotiating with Saudi Arabia. The source argued that the Houthis feared a shift in the balance of power against them.
Saudi Arabia has sought support from its partners as attacks continue and the Houthis make gains along the coast. The crisis has also prompted discussion of possible outside military assistance. Yemeni military sources and a defence official said Syrian troops had been deployed on both sides of the border, with additional forces expected. Syria’s official news agency, however, cited a diplomatic source saying Damascus had not sent troops to Yemen “at this time.” A source in Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council told AFP that Syria could send as many as 3,000 troops to help counter the Houthis.
The reports about a damaged Riyadh tower underscore the vulnerability of high-profile urban and commercial sites during the conflict. The King Abdullah Financial District is a symbol of Saudi Arabia’s economic modernisation and contains financial institutions and international corporate offices. An attack there, if confirmed as described, would mark a significant expansion of the threat into the capital’s business centre.
For now, key details remain unsettled: the coalition says two missiles were intercepted, while witness accounts and Houthi statements describe targets in Riyadh that include the airport and Aramco facilities. The damage visible at Al-Aqiq tower has intensified scrutiny, but the public accounts do not yet establish precisely what struck the building or how the damage occurred.
