Witnesses reported damage to an Aramco tower in Riyadh's business district on Sunday, with Saudi authorities saying that a building belonging to the oil giant in the capital had been the target of an "attempted attack".

Saudi Arabia, and its capital, have been regularly targeted since October by attacks from pro-Iranian Houthi fighters who are battling against the Yemeni government, which is supported by the Saudi-led military coalition.

But targeting this symbolic district of the capital of the wealthy oil monarchy could constitute an escalation in the conflict with these allies of Iran, who had accused Saudi forces of two deadly attacks targeting civilians on Friday and Saturday in Yemen.

On Sunday morning, after powerful explosions were heard in Riyadh, a witness told AFP that "the Aramco tower in KAFD was targeted", referring to the "King Abdullah Financial District".

Another person reported seeing a projectile hit the building, but could not determine whether it was a missile or a drone.

Several floors of the building appear to have been damaged, a witness indicated, reporting broken windows and visible damage to part of the facade.

"An official source from the Ministry of Energy indicated that an administrative building belonging to Aramco in Riyadh was the target of an attempted attack today," the ministry later said in a statement published on X.

- "Neither injured nor killed" -

"The incident resulted in falling debris which caused minor damage to the building, with no injuries or deaths," it added.

The coalition had announced earlier the interception of two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis targeting the capital Riyadh, shortly after the authorities issued an alert message.

The kingdom "intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi terrorist militia towards Riyadh," Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the coalition, told X.

The Houthis did not immediately respond to these allegations.

Earlier on Sunday, Saudi Arabia also announced the destruction of two cruise missiles fired towards Riyadh and the south of the country.

The facilities of the Saudi oil giant have been regularly targeted since the resumption of hostilities with the Houthis in July.

On October 14, Saudi authorities reported an airstrike on an Aramco building in Dhahran (east), where the company's headquarters are located. Two Aramco employees told AFP that a tower at the headquarters had been hit.

The KAFD is one of the most visible symbols of the economic and social reforms initiated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with its imposing skyscrapers, luxury shops and green spaces.

Civilians killed in Yemen

It is home to some of the kingdom's largest national companies as well as leading multinationals, such as Goldman Sachs. The headquarters of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom's powerful sovereign wealth fund, and the Saudi Stock Exchange are also located in the heart of the district.

It also houses residential accommodations as well as a metro station that is very busy during rush hour.

The attacks come hours after the Saudi Ministry of Education announced the resumption of in-person classes in Riyadh, following several weeks of distance learning after a previous wave of strikes.

They also come as fighting appears to intensify in recent days on Yemeni soil, where the conflict resumed in July after four years of calm, opening a new front in the Middle East war.

The Houthi health ministry reported on Saturday that 33 people, including eight women and 13 children, were killed in a coalition airstrike on a village east of the capital Sanaa, which is held by pro-Iranian fighters.

The previous day, at least 30 people had died in a bombing of a market in the Taiz governorate (west). Yemeni government forces and the Houthis blamed each other for the attack.