At least 14 people were killed when a helicopter belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco crashed in Ras Tanura on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
All victims who were on board the aircraft were Saudi nationals. The cause of the crash is unknown, and an investigation is under way, the news agency added.
Saudi Aramco resumed oil loading operations on Friday at its Ras Tanura terminal in the Gulf after an almost four-month halt, shipping data from LSEG showed.
Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, has joined a rush to move cargo after Middle East producers ramped up oil and gas output and exports ahead of an interim deal to halt the war between the US and Iran.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy mourned the victims and extended its “deepest condolences and sincere sympathies" to their families.
The UAE expressed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia after the crash in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry "expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, and to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its brotherly people," it said.
In a statement, the Gulf Co-operation Council's Secretary General, Jassim Al Budaiwi, affirmed the Council's solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its tragic loss, wishing it continued security, safety and stability.
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim, Deputy Emir Abdullah bin Hamad and Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman sent separate messages of condolence to Saudi King Salman, according to the Qatari news agency.
Pakistan offered "heartfelt" condolences to Saudi Arabia over the "tragic" incident. "Pakistan stands in complete and unwavering solidarity with our Saudi brethren in this hour of national grief," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a statement.
Jordan's Foreign Ministry spokesman, ambassador Fouad Majali, also affirmed his country's full support and solidarity with the government and people of Saudi Arabia and offered sincere condolences to the families of the victims. Syria's Foreign Ministry also offered condolences and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
Ras Tanura, on Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast, hosts one of the world’s largest oil export terminals and a major refining facility. The port handles a significant share of Saudi crude exports, with cargoes typically heading to markets in Europe and Asia, including China, Japan and South Korea.
Operations at the refinery were briefly halted after a fire broke out following a drone attack in early March.
Aramco last loaded cargo from Ras Tanura as part of a shipment to be sent to China on March 8, the LSEG data showed. The kingdom had to divert all exports to the Red Sea port of Yanbu after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz during its war with the US and Israel, preventing ships from leaving or entering the Gulf.
Middle Eastern producers are rapidly increasing output and exports after the US and Iran agreed to an interim deal to halt the war.
While talks between Iran and the US continue, “the situation nonetheless remains highly unpredictable, with major strains in large parts of the market and uncertainty over how the peace talks will play out”, the International Energy Agency has said.
