Saudi Aramco orders staff to evacuate headquarters after strike

Saudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco ordered remaining employees to evacuate its headquarters on Thursday, according to two sources cited by AFP, amid heightened regional tensions. The evacuation order follows a strike on the headquarters area in eastern Saudi Arabia last week, after which non-essential staff had already begun working from home. No specific reason was given for the new directive, and residential areas were not closed or evacuated. The attack reportedly destroyed the top three floors of a tower in the operations center area. The escalation coincides with a surge in Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including oil facilities and airports, following the collapse of a years-long truce in July.