US Orders Non-Essential Staff to Leave Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Security Threats
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, …
The United States Embassy in Riyadh announced in a statement on Tuesday that the U.S. State Department has ordered non-essential government personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia starting October 23, 2026, due to intensifying security threats.
The statement noted that Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has carried out attacks targeting civilian airports and other key Saudi infrastructure, resulting in civilian casualties and widespread travel disruptions.
The diplomatic mission also warned of the potential for rapid conflict spillovers into other areas. Highlighting recent missile and drone strikes on Saudi airports, the embassy specified that U.S. government personnel must obtain special authorization from a senior official to use any airport in the country.
Additionally, the mission urged American citizens to exercise extreme caution when utilizing Saudi airports, citing potential risks of airport attacks, airspace closures, flight cancellations, and overall travel disruptions.
Saudi Arabia initiated a land, air, and sea blockade of Yemen in 2015 following the launch of its military intervention in the country. The United States government joined the blockade in October 2016, though it later announced its withdrawal from that decision.
