One of the world’s largest refineries in the UAE was shut as a “precaution” after a drone attack nearby, a source said, while Saudi giant Aramco warned of the war’s devastating consequences on oil.
Aramco CEO and president Amin H. Nasser warned the war could have “catastrophic consequences” on oil markets and called for reopening the Strait of Hormuz—which normally carries about 20 per cent of global oil supplies but has been closed by the conflict.
Tehran appears to be attempting to knock major Gulf refineries offline as it tightens its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in a quest to inflict maximum pain on the global economy.
“The Ruwais refinery has halted operations out of precaution,” the source said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Earlier, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said a drone attack caused a fire in Ruwais Industrial City in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Neither the source nor the authorities said whether the refinery had been hit.
State-owned oil company Adnoc describes its Ruwais facility as “the world’s fourth-largest single-site refinery.”
The Middle East war has now severely destabilised supplies. Iran has fired at energy installations across the Gulf, including Aramco’s sprawling Ras Tanura facility, which halted some operations.
The massive complex on the Gulf coast is home to one of the Middle East’s largest refineries and is a cornerstone of the Saudi energy sector.
Saudi oil fields have also been targeted.
A driver working at the Ruwais industrial complex told AFP he was picking up staff who were ordered to evacuate.
“Just as we were about to leave, we saw two more bursts of fire rising from the complex, with loud sounds like explosions,” he said, requesting not to be named.
