Saudi Arabia intercepts 16 drones heading toward major oil field

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Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed 16 drones heading toward the strategic Shaybah Oil Field early on Saturday, according to a statement by the kingdom’s defence ministry.

The ministry said the drones were detected approaching the major oil installation located in the remote Empty Quarter desert, but did not specify where the drones had been launched from.

The Shaybah field is one of the largest oil fields in the Middle East and is operated by state-owned energy giant Saudi Aramco. The site produces around one million barrels of crude oil per day, making it a key component of the kingdom’s energy infrastructure.

Authorities did not report any damage or casualties following the interception.

The field was previously targeted in 2019, when drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement struck several Saudi oil facilities, sparking a fire at Shaybah’s gas processing facility but causing no injuries or disruption to oil production at the time.