Aramco controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2026
Fire at Saudi Aramco headquarters in Dhahran during Houthi missile attack
Safety incident
Bloomberg reported on Oct 13, citing informed sources, that part of Saudi Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran, eastern Saudi Arabia, caught fire during a Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia, and the fire was later extinguished. The extent of damage and the cause of the fire remain unclear, and it could not be immediately confirmed whether it was caused by debris from an intercepted missile. Saudi Aramco and the energy ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Source excerpt
沙特阿美及能源部未立即回应置评请求。受损程度及起火原因尚不明确，也无法立即确认是否由被拦截导弹残骸造成。
彭博社10月13日援引知情人士报道，也门胡塞武装向沙特发动导弹袭击期间，位于东部宰赫兰的沙特阿美总部部分区域起火，火势其后被扑灭。
2026
Iran-backed Houthis strike Aramco headquarters
Safety incident
According to officials cited by PBS, Iran-backed Houthis struck the headquarters of Saudi oil company Aramco. The supplied source is a headline-only report and provides no details on the timing of the strike, damage, or casualties.
Source excerpt
Iran-backed Houthis strike Saudi oil company Aramco's headquarters, officials say
2024
Greenwashing complaints over advanced-fuels content
The New Weather Institute and allied groups challenged Aramco-sponsored content concerning advanced fuels, Formula One and transport decarbonization. Critics said the material overstated the climate role of such fuels and failed to provide sufficient context about Aramco’s fossil-fuel business. The ASA separately rejected complaints about three specific advertisements.
2021
Saudi Aramco says contractor indirectly leaked company data
Issue disclosure
Saudi Aramco said that a third-party contractor had indirectly leaked company data. The supplied report does not identify the contractor or say whether it was hacked or how the information was otherwise leaked.
Source excerpt
沙特阿拉伯石油公司(Saudi Arabian Oil co. ，简称 Saudi Aramco)称“发现有第三方承包商间接泄露了公司数据”。
In an emailed statement to the Financial Times, the world’s largest oil producer confirmed a breach had occured earlier this week, but added the incident did not originate on its computers, and has had no impact on their operations.
Saudi Aramco has admitted to indirectly leaking sizable amounts of data pilfered from one of its third-party contractors in a cyberattack
2020
Sustainability advertising complaints
The UK Advertising Standards Authority received 61 complaints about Aramco advertising that described the company as supporting a more sustainable future. Aramco withdrew the campaign after the regulator contacted it.
2020
Saudi Aramco responds to migrant worker dressed as sanitizer dispenser
Company response
Saudi Aramco apologized after a foreign employee was asked to dress as a hand sanitizer dispenser. The company said it immediately stopped the practice and took measures to prevent it from happening again, following criticism that the conduct was abusive and racist.
Company response
Apology — Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco has apologized after a foreign employee was asked to dress as a human hand sanitizer dispenser.
Remediation — Saudi Aramco
The company halted this act immediately and has taken strict measures to prevent such action from happening again
Source excerpt
Saudi Aramco has apologized after a foreign employee was asked to dress as a human hand sanitizer dispenser.
Many characterized the photos as racist, abusive and as an example of how migrant workers in the kingdom are mistreated.
The company halted this act immediately and has taken strict measures to prevent such action from happening again