Saudi Arabia sends skyscraper workers home amid Houthi attacks

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 02:07 · Archive

The Kingdom Center in Riyadh ordered office employees to work from home due to escalating Houthi attacks.

The 99-storey Kingdom Center in Riyadh has ordered all office employees to work from home until further notice, citing no specific reason for the directive. Major tenants at the landmark building include the International Monetary Fund, Merrill Lynch and McKinsey & Company. The shopping mall at the base of the tower will remain open to the public.

The order comes as attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have intensified. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting two drones over Riyadh, a third drone over the Eastern Province and two ballistic missiles in southern Saudi Arabia in overnight strikes. The coalition also reported its first military deaths since the escalation began, with two helicopter pilots killed near the Yemen border in what it described as a technical malfunction, whilst the Houthis claimed to have downed an Apache helicopter.

Schools across Riyadh and surrounding areas have moved to online learning for a second week. King Khalid International Airport remains closed following a Houthi attack on 10 October that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300 others. The confrontation between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis has escalated following the militia's takeover of strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month, ending a four-year ceasefire.

How it is being reported

• Saudi Arabia on edge: Iconic Kingdom Centre sends workers home amid Houthi attacksKingdom Centre in Riyadh ordered all office employees to work remotely as Iran-backed Houthi missile and drone attacks rattled Saudi Arabia.Fox News · 19 Oct, 01:45
• Saudi Arabia sends skyscraper employees home amid Houthi threatsRiyadh's Kingdom Center tower's management told the people employed there to work from home "until further notice," without giving a reason. This comes as Houthi attacks escalate.DW News · 18 Oct, 17:34

In this story: Saudi Arabia · Houthis · Yemen · Kingdom Center · Riyadh · International Monetary Fund · Merrill Lynch · Iran

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem