Riyadh's Kingdom Centre skyscraper orders remote work as Houthi disruption spreads

Riyadh's landmark Kingdom Centre skyscraper ordered remote working for office tenants on Sunday as disruption spread from Houthi attacks. The Saudi-led coalition also announced its first military deaths since the war reignited, those of two helicopter pilots in Najran.

Why did the Kingdom Centre skyscraper order remote working?

The Kingdom Centre's management made remote working mandatory for all office employees, effective immediately and until further notice, and gave no reason. The order follows a fresh security alert and two drone interceptions around Riyadh. The mall at the foot of the building remains open.

Who is affected by the Kingdom Centre order?

The 99-storey tower, one of Saudi Arabia's tallest buildings, towers over central Riyadh. Its tenants include financial services firm Merril Lynch, management consultancy McKinsey and the International Monetary Fund.

"Please be advised that remote working arrangements are mandatory for all office employees at Kingdom Centre, effective immediately and until further notice," the building's management said in an email seen by AFP. "Kindly refrain from attending the offices during this period," it added.

Schools in the capital and surrounding areas extended online learning into a second week. Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport remains closed after 13 people were killed in a major attack last week.

How did the Saudi-led coalition lose two pilots in Najran?

The coalition announced the death of two helicopter pilots in Najran, near the border with Yemen, and blamed a "technical malfunction." Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree had said the group "downed an Apache helicopter belonging to the Saudi enemy" in the same area.

The coalition's decade-plus war with the Iran-backed Houthis has returned with ferocity during the US-Iran war, with regular attacks reported by both sides. After an uneasy four-year truce, the conflict intensified when the group seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month.

The Houthis have hit Saudi targets including tankers in the Red Sea, oil facilities and Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. The coalition backing the internationally recognized government has launched repeated air raids on Houthi territory.

What security alerts were issued in Saudi Arabia on Sunday?

The coalition said it intercepted two drones in the Riyadh area overnight and a third over the oil-rich Eastern Province. It also said two ballistic missiles were intercepted in the kingdom's south. Saudi authorities had earlier issued a threat alert in the capital.

Threat alerts for Najran city and As Sulayyil governorate in Riyadh province were issued but quickly cancelled on Sunday. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and captured territory around the Bab al-Mandab strait.

The strait is the Red Sea chokepoint and a vital export route for Saudi oil since Iran blockaded the Gulf's Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis also badly disrupted the Red Sea, a key route linking Asia with Europe via Egypt's Suez Canal, with attacks on ships during the Israel-Hamas war.

How has Egypt responded to the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia?

Egypt's parliament held an emergency session on Sunday after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi asked lawmakers to authorize military support to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks. Two lawmakers told AFP the vote was postponed and the session extended into Monday "to give all lawmakers the opportunity to speak and express their views."

Sisi said he was willing to "carry out any measure to protect" Saudi Arabia if its leaders requested it. "I'm not talking about fighting anyone or attacking anyone," he said on Saturday. "We are speaking only about defense."

What has Iran said about a possible US attack?

Iran's newly appointed Defense Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi threatened to inflict "enormous damage" on the United States and its allies if Washington resumes its military campaign.