As of: 03/25/2022 6:15 p.m
A fuel depot caught fire in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, presumably after a Houthi rebel airstrike. The Formula 1 race track, where the Grand Prix is to be held on Sunday, is nearby.
Before the Formula 1 race in Jeddah, a fire broke out in an oil storage facility in the Saudi Arabian city. Dense smoke could be seen in the sky from the race track. The oil giant Aramco maintains several industrial plants in the port city.
According to the Reuters news agency, the fire was caused by an air strike by the Houthi rebels from Yemen. They had already attacked the same camp on Sunday. It is unclear whether this is a new attack or whether the fire has flared up again.
Repeated attacks by the Houthis
The same tank had already been hit in November 2020. At the time, the Houthis were talking about a cruise missile. At that time, the repair cost about 1.36 million euros. The facility where the tank is located stores diesel, gasoline and jet fuel for use in Jeddah. It is responsible for more than a quarter of all shipments in the country and also provides fuel to run a regional water desalination plant.
The Houthis had previously announced an extensive operation in Saudi Arabia. The military coalition led by Saudi Arabia in the Yemeni civil war has intercepted nine drones loaded with explosive devices that the Houthis are said to have launched towards the south, east and center of the kingdom, according to a television report.
The background is the airstrikes that Saudi Arabia flies against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. A civil war has been raging there since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and other parts of the country in 2014. In March 2015, a military alliance led by Saudi Arabia entered the conflict on the side of the internationally recognized government. Most recently, the conflict, which has now become a proxy war, threatened to spread further: the Houthis attacked more and more targets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are also part of the military coalition.
Concern in the Formula 1 paddock
The developments triggered new concerns in the Formula 1 paddock in Saudi Arabia. “We are waiting for more information from the authorities about what happened,” said Formula 1 about the threatening scenes. Shortly before the events, the racing series held its first training session ahead of the Red Sea Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday.