Deadly Strikes, Rising Threats: US Orders Staff Departure From Saudi Arabia

The United States has ordered non-emergency staff at its embassy in Riyadh and satellite consulates, along with family members of US government employees, to leave Saudi Arabia amid a series of deadly attacks attributed to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and fears of further escalation.

The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia announced the measure in a security alert on Wednesday, October 21. The order comes as Saudi authorities report repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure, including airports, and interceptions of missiles and drones targeting the kingdom.

The embassy in Riyadh was badly damaged during the initial phase of the US-Israeli war against Iran and operated with a skeleton staff for months. Some diplomats had returned in recent months, although the latest departure order signals renewed concern over the security situation.

Airport Attacks

The latest measure follows a series of incidents involving Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said an attack targeting King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed one person and injured eight others. Authorities were assessing the damage and inspecting facilities following the incident.

Earlier, two attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and a Saudia aircraft on October 8, killing three Saudi citizens and injuring several other Saudi citizens and residents, GACA said. The incidents also caused property damage, although airport operations subsequently resumed.

The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government blamed the Houthis for attacks on civilian airports and infrastructure. On October 15, coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki condemned the attacks on King Khalid International Airport, describing them as a threat to civilians and a violation of international humanitarian law.

Saudi authorities have also reported missile and drone threats in the Riyadh region. On Tuesday, the coalition said a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia towards Riyadh had been intercepted and destroyed. It separately reported that an unmanned aerial vehicle had been intercepted in the region.

Washington’s Warning

The departure order comes amid wider concerns over the regional conflict and the risks to American personnel and interests. The US State Department’s Saudi Arabia travel advisory, issued on October 12, classified the country at Level 3, advising Americans to reconsider travel.

The advisory cited the risk of drone and missile attacks against American interests by Iran and the Iranian-supported Houthis, as well as armed conflict and terrorism. It also noted that attacks had targeted cities, airports, military bases, diplomatic facilities and energy infrastructure across Saudi Arabia.

The department warned that debris from intercepted missiles and drones posed an additional danger. US government employees in Saudi Arabia were already subject to travel restrictions, including requirements for special authorisation to use airports in the kingdom.

The latest order is limited to non-emergency personnel and family members covered by the directive. It comes as Washington faces the challenge of protecting its diplomatic presence while regional hostilities continue and Saudi Arabia confronts repeated threats to its civilian infrastructure.