Two killed in drone attack targeting Saudi oil field, energy ministry says

• Saudi air defences intercepted a drone attempting to strike a facility at the Shaybah oil field on Wednesday, Oct. 21, according to the Energy Ministry.
• Two expatriate workers, from the Philippines and Nepal, were killed, while two others from Pakistan and India were injured.
• A fire broke out in a contractor’s vehicle outside the facility’s perimeter, but oil field operations were unaffected, the ministry said.

Two expatriate workers were killed and two others injured after a drone attempted to target a facility at Saudi Arabia’s Shaybah oil field on Wednesday morning, Oct. 21, the Saudi Energy Ministry said.

Saudi air defences intercepted the drone before it could strike the facility, which is operated by state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, the ministry said.

The incident caused a fire in a vehicle belonging to a contractor working at the site, outside the facility’s perimeter. The ministry said the two people killed were nationals of the Philippines and Nepal, while the injured workers were from Pakistan and India.

The ministry said the relevant authorities had responded to the incident and taken the necessary measures. It added that the attack had not disrupted operations at the oil field.

The incident comes amid heightened security concerns over attacks targeting energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region. Saudi authorities have reported intercepting Houthi drones and missiles aimed at the kingdom in recent days, as tensions linked to the regional conflict continue to threaten critical infrastructure.

Shaybah is a major oil field operated by Saudi Aramco in the Rub' al Khali, or Empty Quarter, near the border with the United Arab Emirates. Its remote location and strategic importance make the protection of its facilities a key security concern for Saudi Arabia.