Saudi Arabia's air defences faced a fresh wave of missiles and drones early on Friday. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced that it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi group toward the capital, Riyadh, in a statement posted on X by the coalition's spokesperson, Major General Turki Al-Malki. Loud explosions were heard in Riyadh early on Friday, and residents received alerts on their mobile phones.

Source: The Business Standard (UNB)

The coalition also said it intercepted and destroyed two drones launched toward the kingdom's southern region. The National reported that Al-Malki said ballistic missiles launched toward both Riyadh and Najran, in the south, were intercepted. Saudi Civil Defense issued alerts during the night and early morning not only in the capital but also in Najran, Abha and Khamis Mushait in the southwest, urging people to stay indoors and away from windows.

The coalition gave no casualty or damage figures for the Friday interceptions in the statements reported so far, and the exact count differed between its successive announcements as the overnight wave unfolded. No group had issued a detailed claim for the Friday wave at the time of reporting; the Houthis have claimed the recent series of attacks on Saudi Arabia.

On Thursday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group had carried out four missile and drone operations over the previous 48 hours against the Saudi defence ministry in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an Aramco facility in Yanbu and Abha International Airport. Saudi authorities said two people were killed at the Dammam airport, Reuters reported; there was no Saudi confirmation of the claimed hits in Riyadh or Yanbu, and the Houthi claims could not be independently verified.

Source: Reuters via AnewZ

Also on Thursday, Saudi Aramco ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran and work remotely, six people familiar with the matter told Reuters, following the wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities and airports. The headquarters had sustained extensive damage in an attack earlier this month, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters

Saree warned on Thursday of "catastrophic and unforeseen repercussions" if Saudi Arabia targeted Yemeni tribes, AGBI reported. A spokesperson for Yemen's internationally recognised government denied the Houthi allegation that the kingdom had threatened tribal and civilian gatherings.

Source: AGBI

Oil markets stayed on edge. Brent crude was trading around $113.9 a barrel early on Friday, AGBI reported, after Brent settled on Thursday at its highest level since May 4 and headed for a third successive weekly gain, as concern lingered over further energy supply disruption after the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the world's top crude exporter, Reuters reported.

For the lakhs of Indian and Punjabi workers across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, the practical risk is sudden alerts, flight disruption and attacks near airports and energy sites. Residents in affected areas were advised by Civil Defense to remain indoors and away from windows during alerts.