Drone Strike Hits Saudi Arabia’s SAMREF Refinery in Yanbu
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Riyadh, March 19, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – A drone strike hit Saudi Arabia’s SAMREF refinery in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu on Thursday, the Saudi Defense Ministry said.
The ministry said damage assessments were underway and did not provide further details.
The refinery is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and ExxonMobil and processes more than 400,000 barrels per day of Arabian Light crude.
The strike comes as drones also targeted oil refineries in Kuwait, while Iranian attacks overnight hit natural gas facilities in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, adding pressure to global energy markets.
The escalation follows an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field earlier this week, which Iran shares with Qatar.
The Yanbu facility is part of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea export infrastructure, used to transport crude oil to global markets via pipeline routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
