US orders partial embassy departure from Saudi Arabia as attacks escalate
The United States has ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, as a wave of drone attacks targets the kingdom’s energy infrastructure and airports, raising security concerns across the Gulf.
A diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday that US embassy staff and their families had been ordered to leave Saudi Arabia, while families of embassy staff were also ordered to depart the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.
However, the US State Department disputed the report, saying the ordered departure applied only to non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the safety and security of department personnel and their families remained the administration’s “highest priority.”
Pigott added that Iran-backed Houthi forces had increasingly carried out hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure that caused casualties and disrupted travel.
Drone attacks kill three in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia reported two deadly incidents on Wednesday, involving an oil field and an international airport.
At the Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province, air defences intercepted a drone targeting a facility operated by Saudi Aramco, according to the Saudi Energy Ministry.
Debris from the interception set fire to a contractor’s vehicle outside the facility’s perimeter, killing two foreign nationals from the Philippines and Nepal and injuring two others from Pakistan and India.
The ministry said the incident did not affect operations at the oil field and that authorities had taken the necessary response measures.
Separately, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that a suspected Houthi attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed one person and injured eight others late Wednesday.
The injured were taken to hospital, with conditions ranging from minor to severe. The attack also caused material damage at the airport, which authorities were assessing.
Saudi authorities had not officially identified the perpetrator of the airport attack.
Houthis threaten airports and oil facilities
The incidents came amid escalating hostilities involving Yemen’s Houthi movement, which has threatened further attacks on Saudi airports and energy infrastructure.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree recently identified Aramco facilities in Dhahran, an Aramco refinery in Riyadh and King Khalid International Airport as potential targets, warning of further operations against the kingdom.
The Saudi-led coalition also reported intercepting and destroying five drones launched towards Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, including in the Eastern Province and the Medina region.
The Shaybah oil field, located in the Rub al Khali desert near the border with the United Arab Emirates, is one of Saudi Aramco’s prominent oil-producing sites. The Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the facility in 2019, highlighting the vulnerability of the kingdom’s energy infrastructure.
Attacks disrupt travel and business
The latest incidents follow a broader wave of attacks on Saudi aviation facilities that has disrupted air travel and affected business activities.
Between Oct. 5 and 11, 10 attacks reportedly targeted five airports across the kingdom, killing 20 people and injuring hundreds. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was targeted five times during that period, while King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was attacked twice.
Airlines, including Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, have suspended or cancelled some flights to Saudi cities amid security concerns. Riyadh’s main airport has also faced extended closures and flight restrictions.
The disruption has extended to major business events. Saudi Arabia postponed its flagship Future Investment Initiative conference, scheduled for Oct. 26-29, until 2027. Organisers also postponed the Intersec Saudi Arabia security exhibition until October 2027, while the Saudi Retail Forum was rescheduled for March 2027.
Some government agencies and businesses in Riyadh have instructed employees to work remotely or remain at home as security concerns grow.
Regional security concerns deepen
The US departure orders come amid mounting concerns over the safety of American personnel and the risk of further attacks across the Gulf.
A journalist, Timour Azhari, reported on Wednesday that US officials had said the State Department was preparing ordered departures for some personnel and family members at American embassies across the region. The department’s public statement did not address that broader report.
The diplomatic source did not specify whether the reported orders covering embassy families in the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain were temporary.
There was no stated link between the US departure orders and the specific drone incidents at Shaybah and King Fahd International Airport.
With attacks threatening energy facilities, airports and regional transport, the latest developments have intensified security concerns across Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf.
Source:AA
