Prime Minister offers condolences after helicopter crash that claimed 14 lives in Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed grief over a helicopter crash in Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura yesterday that claimed the lives of 14 Saudi nationals and extended Pakistan’s condolences to the Saudi leadership and the bereaved families.

In a post on X, the prime minister said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash.”

Shehbaz also offered condolences on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan, saying: “I express our deepest condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the bereaved families and the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia.”

Reaffirming Pakistan’s support, Shehbaz stated that “Pakistan stands in full solidarity with our Saudi brothers and sisters in this hour of grief.”

The helicopter crash killed 14 Saudi citizens on Sunday, the kingdom’s official news agency had reported, adding that the plane belonged to state oil giant Aramco. The Saudi Press Agencyciting an energy ministry official, reported that the helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura in the east of the country. “The accident claimed the lives of all 14 passengers, all Saudi citizens,” the agency said, adding that an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the crash.

According to Aramco, it operates more than 60 aircraft, including helicopters, and serves more than 300 heliports in Saudi Arabia, making it one of the largest corporate fleets in the region.

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The deadly accident comes as oil-rich Gulf nations seek to increase their production following Iranian attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil and gas exports. However, the Gulf monarchy did not indicate that the crash was in any way linked to a hostile attack.

During the Middle East war, Iranian attacks have targeted energy facilities in the Gulf. Ras Tanura, home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, is vital to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector. The refinery has been targeted several times, most notably during an Iranian drone attack at the beginning of the conflict, which caused a fire and forced a partial shutdown.

Riyadh said in April that the weeks-long attacks had disrupted several production operations at key facilities, targeting refineries in Ras Tanura as well as Jubail, Yanbu and Riyadh.