Saudi coalition orders Yemen oil-site evacuation as Houthis threaten Aramco facilities and airports
Saudi-led forces told civilians to leave Yemen’s Al-Sabaha oil station in Sanaa ahead of a planned operation, while Yemen’s Houthis warned workers to evacuate Saudi Aramco facilities and airports and Jeddah briefly halted flights during a missile and drone attack.
Oil facilities and airports around the Red Sea and in Saudi Arabia’s heartland are under direct threat as the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen’s Houthi movement trade evacuation orders and strike warnings.
On 13 October, the Joint Forces Command of the Saudi-led coalition asked civilians to evacuate the Yemen Petroleum Company’s Al-Sabaha Central Station in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, ahead of what it called a special operation. Saudi Arabia also issued an evacuation warning for the Sabaha oil facility in the city. Soon after, explosions were reported in Sanaa following airstrikes by warplanes, according to Al Hadath.
Houthi authorities responded with their own instructions and threats. The movement’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, warned all employees and civilians near any Saudi Aramco installation to leave immediately and said these facilities were legitimate targets. Houthis renewed earlier warnings for airline staff, passengers and airport workers and told “experts, engineers, and workers at all Saudi oil installations” to stay away from sites that could be struck, including ones already hit and those that have not yet been attacked.
The Houthi side also named three Saudi locations as potential retaliation targets if the coalition hits the Sanaa oil depot: Aramco headquarters in Dammam, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and an Aramco refinery in Riyadh.
Saudi territory is already experiencing disruption. Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport halted air traffic amid what officials described as a Houthi missile and drone attack. Even a temporary pause forces airlines to reroute or delay flights, complicating travel plans and cargo movements through one of the kingdom’s main gateways.
For oil workers, airport staff and nearby residents in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the warnings turn workplaces and neighborhoods into potential target areas. Clearing the Al-Sabaha station in Sanaa and telling people to leave the vicinity of Saudi Aramco facilities and airports may reduce casualties if strikes go ahead, but it also upends daily life around critical energy and transport hubs.
Regional powers are signaling support for Riyadh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, offered condolences to the families of victims, and expressed confidence that the kingdom would overcome the crisis. Egypt’s foreign minister told Bloomberg that Cairo is ready to provide Saudi Arabia with any support, including military assistance, amid the Houthi attacks.
Energy markets and insurers are watching whether threats turn into sustained damage. Aramco infrastructure underpins Saudi export revenues, and repeated warnings about strikes on refineries, headquarters and airports add to perceived risk around Gulf and Red Sea routes, even without confirmed large-scale hits.
Key signals now include any formal announcement from the Saudi-led coalition about the outcome of its announced special operation in Sanaa, evidence of attempted Houthi strikes on the specific Saudi sites they have listed, and whether Turkey or Egypt move from diplomatic backing toward more concrete involvement.
Sources
- OSINT