US warns of imminent missile threat over Saudi oil hub Dhahran

DHAHRAN, March 3, 2026 – The US embassy in Saudi Arabia warned on Tuesday of an “imminent” missile and UAV attack threat over Dhahran, a major Saudi oil hub, and urged American citizens to shelter in place.

The alert urges citizens to avoid the US Consulate in Dhahran and shelter indoors, warning that falling debris poses a risk.

Dhahran hosts the headquarters of Saudi Aramco and functions as the nerve centre of the kingdom’s oil industry, housing executive leadership, upstream management and operational control divisions. Strategic oversight of much of Saudi Arabia’s crude production is directed from the city.

The Dhahran-Dammam-Al Khobar corridor forms the administrative and logistical backbone of the Eastern Province, which accounts for the vast majority of Saudi oil output. The area supports operations across Ghawar, the world’s largest conventional oilfield, and other major producing assets.

Nearby infrastructure includes the Abqaiq crude processing facility, one of the world’s most important oil stabilisation plants, and the Ras Tanura refinery and export terminal, among the largest crude shipping points globally. The broader Eastern Province also encompasses Jubail Industrial City, a leading refining and petrochemicals hub along the Gulf coast.

The conflict between the US, Israel and Iran has entered its fourth day, with sustained air strikes on Iranian targets, retaliatory missile and UAV attacks and expanding clashes involving Iran-backed groups in Lebanon and across the Gulf. Fighting has intensified around key strategic areas, raising concerns about further regional spillover.

Markets have reacted sharply, with global equities declining and Brent crude rising above USD 80 per barrel amid fears of disruption to oil production, tanker traffic and potential restrictions on flows through the Strait of Hormuz. While no sustained supply outages have been confirmed, heightened security alerts across major Gulf energy hubs have reinforced investor focus on energy infrastructure resilience and export continuity.

Saudi Arabia maintains crude production capacity of around 12 million bopd, with infrastructure in the Eastern Province underpinning its position as the world’s largest crude exporter.

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