The key facts
- Two people killed (citizens of the Philippines and Nepal), two injured (Pakistan and India) by falling debris of a downed drone near Shaybah
- Saudi Energy Ministry: no impact on field operations
- US State Department ordered nonessential staff and their families to leave the country
Debris fall near Shaybah causes casualties
On Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, two people were killed and two injured after debris from a drone intercepted by Saudi air defenses fell near a processing plant at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province. The dead were citizens of the Philippines and Nepal; the injured were citizens of Pakistan and India.
Energy Ministry: fire at a contractor, production unaffected
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy said in a statement on X that the drone was directed at the plant, and falling debris caused a fire in a contractor's vehicle outside the facility's perimeter. According to the ministry, the incident did not affect the field's operations.
US evacuating nonessential staff
The US State Department ordered nonessential government employees and members of their families to leave Saudi Arabia, spokesman Tommy Pigott said. The order applies only to nonessential personnel and their families. According to Pigott, Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have intensified hostile actions against the kingdom, including strikes on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure, causing civilian casualties and serious travel disruptions.
