IS terror attacks continue to threaten Saudi Arabia

Islamic State may have the kingdom’s oil and gas sector in its sights after an attempted attack in Dhahran

Rumours of a recently-thwarted Islamic State (IS) attack against the main Saudi Aramco compound in Dhahran, just a few weeks after a gunman attacked a security facility near an Aramco terminal in Abqaiq, have triggered renewed fears of possible IS attacks on the kingdom’s oil and gas infrastructure. The challenge from Jihadists who still view the House of Saud as the "near enemy" – seems real enough. A spate of attacks this year on Saudi soil which have mainly targeted the kingdom’s Shia minority underline its brutal capability to wreak havoc. The pinpointing of hydrocarbon assets suggests a shift in strategy. On September 5, Saudi security forces were reported to have repelled the attack ne