As security concerns rise in Saudi Arabia due to attacks by Houthi rebels, Samsung E&A has begun withdrawing some local employees. However, the company has decided to retain a minimal number of essential personnel on-site to ensure the continuity of ongoing projects.
According to industry sources, Samsung E&A has implemented temporary measures to safeguard the safety of its local employees in response to recent changes in the regional situation. These measures include restrictions on new assignments and business trips, with employees currently on assignment instructed to return immediately.
The company has also limited the return of employees on regular leave. To maintain the necessary workforce for project execution while ensuring that on-site employees can take their regular vacations, only essential personnel will be allowed to return with their consent.
Additionally, the exit routes for employees remaining in the region have been altered. Those eligible for regular leave or reassignment will now travel overland to neighboring countries before taking flights, instead of using airports within Saudi Arabia. The company plans to adjust these measures as needed based on the evolving situation in Saudi Arabia and surrounding countries.
However, these actions do not signify a complete withdrawal of personnel from Saudi Arabia. A Samsung E&A representative stated, "This measure is a temporary action for employee safety, and essential personnel for project execution are being maintained."
Samsung E&A is monitoring the local situation in real-time through its Middle East emergency response task force and will continue to implement safety measures for employees and their families.
This decision comes amid escalating safety concerns following a series of attacks by Houthi rebels in Saudi Arabia. The rebels have targeted key locations, including the international airport in the capital Riyadh and the headquarters of the state-owned oil company Aramco. Tensions are rising as further attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities have been threatened.
Meanwhile, Samsung E&A considers Saudi Arabia a key overseas market and is engaged in large-scale energy plant projects. In 2024, the company secured a contract worth approximately $6 billion for the Fadhili gas expansion project from Saudi Aramco. In September of this year, it signed a contract worth about $3.5 billion with Saudi SABIC Agri-Nutrients for the construction of the 'SAN-7' fertilizer plant, which aims to build ammonia and urea fertilizer production facilities in the Jubail Industrial City, with completion targeted for 2030.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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