Saturday’s attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq processing facility and the Khurais oil field, which caused major fires and slowed oil production by almost half, are the latest in a series of attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels on the Kingdom.
The militia claimed the attacks, while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran was to blame. Tehran denied any involvement and Iraq said there was no truth to the claim that the attacks may have been launched from its territory.
If confirmed, this would not be the first Houthi attack on Saudi soil, but it represents the most significant targeting of Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure and the global energy supply since the beginning of the 2015 war in Yemen.
A Saudi Arabian-led coalition that includes the UAE has been fighting the Houthis in Yemen for more than four years on behalf of the internationally recognised government.
In May, another Houthi-claimed drone attack hit the East-West oil pipeline near Riyadh. The pipeline was built during the Iran-Iraq war and runs from Abqaiq in the east to the Red Sea.
Bloomberg reported earlier this year that Saudi Aramco expects to finish expanding it by September, which would mean more oil could be exported from the country without the need for it to travel through the Strait of Hormuz, which is partially controlled by Iran.
The Strait is the world's single most important oil passageway with 20 per cent of global oil supplies flowing through it and it has become the epicentre of rising tensions between Iran, the Gulf countries and the West in recent months. Iran has attacked a number of tankers, seizing a British-flagged tanker and attempting to hijack another.
May’s drone strike caused oil prices to rise by more than $1 a barrel.
Later the same month, the Saudi Arabian military said it shot down two ballistic missiles reportedly heading towards Jeddah and Mecca. The Houthis denied the reports.
In June, the attacks stepped up a gear when Houthi rebels fired a missile at Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia, wounding 26 civilians in the arrivals hall. Houthi rebels themselves said a week later that they had attacked the airport again. The coalition carried out strikes on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, in response.
Abha airport was attacked for a third time the following month, wounding nine. Houthis said they had been targeting war planes, yet in August they targeted Jizan Aiport with 10 ballistic missiles and had been aiming for civilians.
In August, a drone attack set off fires at an oil and gas field in the east of the country.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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