WorldGulf
Riyadh's Kingdom Centre tells office tenants to stay home as Houthi attacks continue
The 99-storey tower, one of the Saudi capital's best-known landmarks, has asked companies to work remotely until further notice. The shopping mall at its base stays open.
Key points
- The Kingdom Centre in Riyadh told office tenants to work from home "until further notice".
- The move follows repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- The mall at the foot of the tower remains open.
The Kingdom Centre, the 99-storey tower that dominates the Riyadh skyline, has told its office tenants to work from home “until further notice” after repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
“Kindly refrain from attending the offices during this period,” the building’s management said in an email to tenants. The shopping mall at the base of the tower, one of the Saudi capital’s busiest, remains open.
The instruction is a striking sign of how far the war in Yemen has reached into everyday life in the kingdom. Houthi missiles and drones have repeatedly targeted Saudi cities and airports this month, and drones were again shot down near Riyadh over the weekend.
The disruption has already hit travel, sport and business. Riyadh’s main airport has been closed for long stretches, several international events have been postponed, and the Future Investment Initiative, the city’s flagship business conference, has switched to hybrid attendance.
Saudi Arabia has vowed a serious response to the attacks, and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has asked his parliament for approval to help defend the kingdom.
For India, the escalation matters closely: Saudi Arabia is home to one of the largest Indian communities abroad, and any lasting shutdown of offices and flights in Riyadh is felt by Indian workers there and their families back home.