Saudi Arabia Intercepts Seven Drones Targeting Aramco's Shaybah Oil Field

Saudi Arabia said it successfully intercepted multiple drones targeting the strategic Shaybah Oil Field as regional tensions escalated amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran and its Gulf neighbours. According to the Saudi defence ministry, two drones heading toward the oil facility were intercepted and destroyed by air defence systems. The incident highlights growing concerns over attacks on energy infrastructure in the region as the conflict continues to expand.

Officials said that in addition to the two drones targeting Shaybah, five other drones were also intercepted and destroyed in separate defensive operations. The attempted attacks came as Iran intensified strikes across the region, targeting military and strategic installations in several Gulf states. Saudi authorities said their air defence units remained on high alert to protect key infrastructure and civilian areas from further aerial threats.

The Shaybah oil field is one of Saudi Arabia’s major energy assets and is operated by Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s largest companies by market capitalisation. Located in the vast Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert near the border with the United Arab Emirates, the facility plays a crucial role in the kingdom’s oil production. Any disruption to operations at Shaybah could have wider implications for global energy markets, especially during a period of heightened geopolitical instability.

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Saudi officials also reported intercepting seven ballistic missiles launched toward the kingdom’s eastern region and Prince Sultan Air Base. The military installation had earlier been targeted in an attack on March 1 in which an American soldier was injured and later died from the wounds. Authorities said air defence systems successfully neutralised the missiles before they could cause further damage.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates reported facing a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks. The country’s defence ministry said its air defence systems were responding to several incoming threats but did not immediately provide details about the specific targets or locations. The attacks form part of a broader escalation in hostilities across the region as the conflict spreads beyond its initial fronts.

Meanwhile, Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched a new round of missile strikes against military targets linked to the United States and Israel across the region. Iranian media reported that ballistic missiles were fired at the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain and at facilities in Iraqi Kurdistan. Separate reports also claimed that missiles were fired at the US military’s Camp Arifjan base near Kuwait City, though Kuwaiti authorities have not yet confirmed the claims, while stating that several drones targeting the country were intercepted.

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