RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s air defenses have stopped a new wave of airstrikes, this time targeting Aramco’s Shaybah field, the Ministry of Defense said early Saturday.
In a succession of posts on X, ministry spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said a total of 21 drones headed toward the Shaybah field in several waves were intercepted and destroyed in the Empty Quarter.
In separate posts, Al-Maliki also announced the “interception and destruction” of five ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj.
Another drone was intercepted east of the national capital, Riyadh city, the spokesman tweeted.
The missile threat was the third attempted strike in three consecutive days on AlKharj, an important industrial zone located approximately 80 kilometers southeast of Riyadh city.
The attempt on Shaybah field was the first since Feb. 28 when Israel and the United States launched a massive air campaign against Iran, which has triggered a wave of retaliatory strikes by Tehran against various targets in the Gulf region, including oil refineries and industrial sites.
Saudi defense forces continued to intercept incoming drones toward Shaybah, Prince Sultan Air Bass and Riyadh, said an offical statement from the ministry on Saturday.
Located deep in the Rub’ al-Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter, Shaybah is one of Saudi Arabia’s most vital “super-giant” fields. Beyond its massive oil reserves, the field is a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s gas strategy, with a high-tech recovery plant supplying critical natural gas liquids (NGLs) to the petrochemical sector.
The air attacks on Saudi Arabia is part of a massive surge in aerial aggression across the Gulf. In the last 24 hours alone, the region has seen the UAE intercepting over 125 drones and 6 ballistic missiles.
On Friday, Saudi air defenses shot down five missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, four drones in the eastern Riyadh region, and one drone each in the Eastern Province and Al-Kharj.
On Thursday, the Kingdom destroyed three cruise missiles targeting Al-Kharj, just hours after a drone attack was stopped over the Ras Tanura refinery in the Eastern Province.
The attacks have continued despite the protest and condemnations issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
In an extraordinary ministerial meeting held in Riyadh on March 1, the GCC affirmed the collective right of member states to defend their territories against “treacherous Iranian aggression.”
Following a Cabinet session chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on March 3, Saudi Arabia declared it reserves the “full right” to respond. The Cabinet underscored that the Kingdom will take all necessary measures to safeguard its territory, citizens, and residents from these persistent strikes.
