Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the National Assembly in Islamabad on Friday. Photo:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed grief over yesterday’s helicopter crash in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, which claimed the lives of 14 Saudi citizens, 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 expressed his condolences on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan and said: “I extend 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 the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in Ras Tanura that claimed the precious lives of 14 Saudi citizens.
On behalf of the people and the Government of Pakistan, I express our deepest condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Salman bin…
– Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 29, 2026
Reaffirming Pakistan’s support, Shehbaz said, “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 press agency reported, adding that the plane belonged to state oil giant Aramco. He Saudi Press AgencyCiting an official from the Ministry of Energy, he 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 nationals,” the agency said, adding that an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the accident.
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.
Read: Pakistan moves to save fragile ceasefire
The deadly accident comes as oil-rich Gulf nations seek to increase production following Iranian attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil and gas exports. The Gulf monarchy, however, did not indicate that the accident was in any way related to a hostile attack.
During the Middle East war, Iranian attacks 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 central to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector. The refinery has been attacked several times, notably during an Iranian drone attack early in 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, with the targets being the Ras Tanura refineries, as well as Jubail, Yanbu and Riyadh.
