The Saudi-led coalition announced it intercepted two Houthi drones targeting Riyadh and eastern Saudi Arabia on November 11, 2026. The Houthi group, an Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen, claimed attacks on Saudi energy facilities.
The coalition also stated that three cruise missiles and two drones targeting Riyadh, Mecca, and southern Saudi Arabia were intercepted on November 11. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed drone attacks on pumping station number 7 of the East-West pipeline and ballistic missile attacks on oil facilities in Yanbu on November 12.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy confirmed an attempted attack on the Saudi Aramco administrative building in Riyadh on November 8, 2026, which caused minor damage but no casualties. Saudi Aramco is Saudi Arabia’s national oil company.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and China’s Special Envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun discussed regional security and Houthi attacks in Riyadh on November 12, 2026.
The Houthi group denied the Saudi-led coalition’s announcement of intercepting drones over Mecca, stating they target oil facilities and military bases. Saree also claimed that three cruise missiles targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on November 11, and drones targeted pumping station number 11 in the Yanbu area, asserting these operations achieved their objectives.
Saudi Arabia has not commented on the Houthi group’s claim of an Aramco attack on November 12, 2026. Further details regarding the nature, origin, or perpetrators of the November 8 attack on the Aramco building in Riyadh are not available, and the Saudi Ministry of Energy has not attributed responsibility for that attack.
Background
- The conflict began after the Houthis captured Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in September 2014.
- The Saudi-led coalition, a military alliance fighting the Houthis in Yemen, intervened in March 2015 in support of the Yemeni government.
- A period of relative calm, which had been in place since April 2022, ended in July 2026 when fighting resumed between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis.
- The Houthis have intensified missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent months, targeting airports, ports, and oil facilities.
