Saudi Capital Mandates Remote Work for Government and Financial Hub Staff Amid Escalating Houthi Missile and Drone Strikes

Government agencies and major corporate centers in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, have ordered employees to switch to remote work from Monday through Thursday, according to agency workers and international consultants speaking to AFP.

The widespread shift to remote operations follows an unprecedented surge in aerial strikes launched by Yemen's Houthi forces targeting critical transportation infrastructure, government installations, and financial districts.

Commercial Hubs and Financial District Closures The emergency work-from-home directive has disrupted daily operations across key commercial sectors:

Kingdom Centre Precaution: The iconic 99-story Kingdom Centre tower in downtown Riyadh—which houses major international institutions, including the regional headquarters of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)—requested tenant workers to vacate and work remotely until further notice.

• King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD): Multinational corporations and major American financial services firms headquartered within KAFD have similarly instructed staff to work from home.

• Al-Olaya District Evacuations: Sources confirmed that government personnel operating out of high-rise complexes in central Riyadh's Al-Olaya district were evacuated two weeks earlier amid worsening aerial threats.

Unprecedented Strike Intensity and Casualties The workplace orders reflect escalating security risks as Houthi forces target civil aviation and state infrastructure with near-daily drone and ballistic missile salvos:

• Riyadh Airport Strike: A major attack on Riyadh’s international airport on October 10 killed 13 people and injured hundreds, representing the deadliest single attack on Saudi soil in more than a decade.

• Wider Airport Toll: Since the beginning of the month, attacks targeting commercial airports across Saudi Arabia have claimed a total of 20 lives.

• Broader Conflict Resumption: Following a prolonged truce that held from 2022 until July, hostilities between Houthi units, Saudi Arabia, and allied Yemeni forces reignited, expanded further by the Houthis capturing Yemen's Red Sea coastal strip in September to consolidate control over the Bab al-Mandab shipping strait.