Pakistan, UAE condemn Houthi attack on Aramco Tower in Riyadh as Sanaa death toll rises to 44

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates on Monday strongly condemned the Aramco tower attack in Riyadh, demanding an immediate and unconditional halt to strikes on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said an administrative building belonging to the state oil company was targeted in an “attempted attack” on Sunday, with falling shrapnel causing minor damage and no casualties. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the targeting of civilian infrastructure showed a “reckless disregard for human life and regional security” and commended the “vigilance and swift response” of Saudi authorities. The statement said Saudi Arabia’s security was of “paramount importance” to Pakistan and that Islamabad stood resolutely with the kingdom’s leadership. The UAE foreign ministry called the attack a flagrant violation of Saudi sovereignty and a threat to its security and stability, reaffirming full solidarity.

Two missiles intercepted, alert briefly sounded in Riyadh
The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards the capital. Witnesses told AFP that several floors of the Aramco Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the King Abdullah Financial District, had their windows blown out and part of the facade damaged. Earlier on Monday, Saudi civil defence sent Riyadh residents a text message briefly warning of an aerial threat before lifting the alert minutes later.

Sanaa death toll climbs to 44
The Houthis said on Monday that the death toll from Saudi strikes near Yemen’s Sanaa city had climbed to 44, including 21 children and 10 women, with 40 people injured. According to the Houthi health ministry, the strike hit the Alshariyah area of Bani Hushaysh, east of Sanaa, on Saturday, and rescue teams were still searching for the missing.

A month of escalation
It was the second major Houthi attack on the Saudi capital in a month — a strike on Riyadh airport on 11 October killed 12 people. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a bilateral defence agreement in September 2025, and in August 2026 Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, said on Monday that his country had no troops deployed in Yemen and no plan to send any.