I wonder if there are a ton of incidents in SA that we are not hearing about?
Trust me, there have been. The only reason you heard about the resent rocket attack by Iranian backed Hezbolla is because they almost hit the Saudis main commercial airport.
If you know an Aramcon, contact him and find out.
“I wonder if there are a ton of incidents in SA that we are not hearing about?”
The Saudi regime has always had to work hard to suppress their Shia minority (10-15%), and Iran has long sought to develop fifth columns inside Saudi Arabia (the Saudis in turn cultivate anti-regime groups inside Iran).
The Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia bordering the Persian Gulf (where most of the oil is) has always had a significant Shi’ite population - the biggest concentration in the kingdom. Neighboring Bahrain actually has a Shi’ite majority, although the ruling family and Government are Sunni.
The Governor of the Eastern province has always had a special role in controlling the Shia, and they have historically appointed famously tough guys for that role.
The Khobar Towers bombing which targeted US troops in the Eastern Province (near Dammam/Dhahran) was an Iranian operation. Last year, the Saudis executed the famous Saudi Shi’ite Cleric Nimr al Nimr. There was fear at the time that the Shia might come out in open rebellion if the execution was carried out, but it did not materialize.
The Sunni/Shia conflict is a significant domestic security issue for the Saudis, as well as perhaps their main foreign policy security concern.