Houthi strike badly damages Aramco’s headquarters; MUIS advises Singaporeans to consider postponing Umrah
Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran suffered extensive damage in an attack on Tuesday 13 October, with a fire spreading across several floors, three people with direct knowledge told Reuters (Straits Times). Bloomberg said Iran-backed Houthi forces fired missiles and drones at several Saudi cities. The Houthis vowed on Wednesday to keep attacking Saudi airports and oil facilities (Reuters, Straits Times). Pilgrims were caught up in the strikes, and some have changed plans (Straits Times). President Donald Trump said the Houthis were trying to push up oil prices before the US election (Straits Times). MUIS advised Singaporeans to consider postponing Umrah and told those in Saudi Arabia to stay calm and follow local authorities and the MFA (CNA, Straits Times). The Six Kings Slam tournament in Saudi Arabia has been postponed to December (Straits Times, CNA).
Aramco is central to world oil supply, so damage at its headquarters raises questions about security for the kingdom’s oil facilities and for prices. For Singaporean Muslims, Umrah plans bring the conflict into personal decisions about travel and money.
If you hold an Umrah booking, contact your travel agent about postponing or rescheduling, as MUIS is engaging agents. Follow MFA travel advisories before any trip to Saudi Arabia or a Gulf transit.
MUIS’s advice puts safety first and gives agents time to arrange refunds or new dates.
Postponing is costly for families who have saved and planned for years, and it is unclear how long the risk will last.
Watch two things: whether Aramco says how long repairs will take, and whether further Houthi strikes hit airports, since that decides if pilgrims can travel. With Hormuz and Saudi Arabia both under attack, Brent above US$106 shows how much risk the market is already pricing.
DailyDrop Singapore edition No. 11 · Morning · THU., OCT. 15, 2026