Fourteen people were killed on Sunday after a helicopter operated by Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco crashed in the eastern Saudi city of Ras Tanura, authorities have confirmed.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), quoting an official from the Kingdom’s Ministry of Energy, the helicopter went down in Ras Tanura, a major oil-producing hub in the country’s Eastern Province.
The agency said all 14 people aboard the aircraft were Saudi nationals and died in the crash. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
No immediate indication was given that the crash was linked to any hostile activity or security incident.
Aramco, one of the world’s largest energy companies, operates a fleet of more than 60 aircraft, including helicopters that provide transport services to hundreds of heliports across Saudi Arabia in support of its oil and gas operations.
The accident comes at a sensitive time for the Gulf region, with oil-producing countries increasing production following recent disruptions to energy exports caused by regional tensions, including Iranian attacks and the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route for crude oil and natural gas.
Ras Tanura remains one of Saudi Arabia’s most strategic energy locations. The city hosts one of the Middle East’s largest oil refineries, with a refining capacity of about 550,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it central to the kingdom’s petroleum industry.
The facility has previously been targeted during regional hostilities. Earlier in the conflict involving Iran, a drone attack on the refinery triggered a fire and forced a partial shutdown of operations.
Saudi authorities also reported that coordinated attacks on energy infrastructure had affected production facilities in Ras Tanura, Jubail, Yanbu and Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter, currently produces just over 10 million barrels of oil per day, underscoring the strategic importance of maintaining the security and uninterrupted operation of its energy infrastructure.
Authorities said further details would be released after investigators complete their assessment of the crash.
