Saudi Arabia’s largest drilling contractor, ADES Holding, has temporarily suspended operations on a handful of its offshore rigs in the GCC region due to ongoing tensions.

The company described the suspensions as short-term and stated that it is working closely with clients to monitor the situation while prioritising the safety of personnel and assets.

ADES, which operates 123 rigs across 20 countries, remains confident in its outlook. It forecasts core earnings for 2026 to rise by as much as 44%, supported by its geographic diversification and synergies from the recent Shelf Drilling acquisition.

All its Saudi platforms serve Saudi Aramco as the client.

Borr Drilling also reported suspensions. Three of its jack-up rigs in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were down-manned as a precautionary measure requested by customers following hostilities in the Arabian Gulf.

A fourth rig, Arabia III in Saudi Arabia, was affected by an incident on a customer-operated platform on 7 March 2026, leading to a safe shutdown and evacuation of personnel with no injuries reported. The rigs remain under contract.

Major national oil companies have implemented significant production adjustments.

Saudi Aramco has shut in or substantially reduced output from key offshore fields, including the supergiant Safaniya (the world’s largest offshore oil field) and Zuluf, contributing to an overall reduction in Saudi oil production.

Production has been rerouted via the Red Sea port of Yanbu amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

In the UAE, ADNOC has made temporary adjustments to output, with impacts reported on both onshore and offshore facilities.

Qatar has halted liquefied natural gas production, including at the Ras Laffan complex, following strikes that caused extensive damage and fires.

QatarEnergy has warned of potential delays to the North Field expansion project.

The broader regional conflict has led to the closure of key shipping routes and prompted precautionary measures across the GCC energy sector.

While direct attacks on offshore platforms have so far been limited, the situation has disrupted drilling activities and hydrocarbon flows.

Industry players continue to stress that the rig suspensions are expected to be brief once conditions stabilise.