The 99-story Kingdom Tower in Riyadh has instructed its employees to work from home due to the potential for attacks by Houthi rebels from Yemen. The management of the tower decided to enforce this order "compulsorily" and without providing a specific reason, and this action was implemented immediately and will continue until further notice.
Impact on Economic Activities
The Kingdom Tower, as one of the tallest buildings in Saudi Arabia, hosts important financial institutions including the International Monetary Fund and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. While employees have been sent home, the shopping center located at the base of the tower continues to operate.
Read more: Romanian fighter jets shot down two drones over the Black Sea
Continued School Closures and Effects at Airports
Education in schools in the city of Riyadh and surrounding areas is being conducted online for the second week. Additionally, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remains closed following a Houthi attack that resulted in the deaths of 13 people.
Tensions in the war between the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Houthi group have significantly escalated. The Saudi coalition has announced that two helicopter pilots were killed near the Yemeni border due to "technical failure." The Houthis had also previously reported the downing of an Apache helicopter "belonging to the Saudi enemy."
Saudi Defensive Measures
On the Saudi side, officials reported that two drones were destroyed over Riyadh last night and another drone was shot down in the Eastern Province, which is an oil-rich area. Additionally, two ballistic missiles were identified and destroyed in southern Saudi Arabia.
Over the past decade, the two sides have been engaged in varying intensities of conflict. After a four-year ceasefire, tensions have risen again last month following the Houthis' capture of strategic areas along the Red Sea coast. The Houthis have also attacked oil facilities, tankers, and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, while the coalition has conducted airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas.
Read more: Meloni supported the police against the cost of living protests · Trump will decide on the recent attacks on Saudi airports
