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Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520

This information is current as of today, Wed Dec 17 15:45:48 2003.

Saudi Arabia

December 17, 2003
This Travel Warning is being issued to alert Americans to the fact that, due to security concerns, the Department of State has authorized the departure of family members and non-emergency employees of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates on a voluntary basis. Private American citizens should evaluate their own security situations and should consider departing the country. This Travel Warning supersedes that of December 8, 2003.
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer travel to Saudi Arabia. Americans are reminded of the potential for further terrorist actions against U.S. citizens abroad, including in the Persian Gulf region. U.S. citizens who travel to, or remain in, Saudi Arabia despite this Travel Warning should register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh or at the Consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran, and enroll in the warden system (emergency alert network) to obtain updated information on travel and security in Saudi Arabia.
Due to ongoing security concerns, on December 17, 2003, the Department of State authorized the departure, on a voluntary basis, of family members and non-emergency personnel of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Saudi Arabia. U.S. consular personnel remain available to provide emergency services to American citizens.
The U.S. Government continues to receive indications of terrorist threats aimed at American and Western interests, including the targeting of transportation and civil aviation. American citizens in Saudi Arabia should remain vigilant, particularly in public places associated with the Western community.
Terrorists have attacked residential housing compounds in the Riyadh area in 2003. Credible information indicates that terrorists continue to target residential compounds in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Riyadh area, but also compounds throughout the country.
From time to time, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Saudi Arabia may restrict the travel of official Americans or suspend public services for security reasons. In those instances, the Embassy and Consulates will keep the local American citizen community apprised through the Warden System and make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia continues to restrict the travel of its American employees and their dependents to residential compounds in the Riyadh area to between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Restrictions on travel to other destinations have been lifted in conjunction with the Department’s approval of voluntary departure status. Warden messages can be found on the US Embassy Riyadh website: http://usembassy.state.gov/riyadh/
As the Department continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. U.S. travelers can also get up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. or Canada or on a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328.
U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State's Consular Information Sheet for Saudi Arabia, the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, and Middle East and North Africa Public Announcement at http://travel.state.gov.

Return to Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings Page

U.S. Urges Citizens to Leave Saudi Arabia
29 minutes ago

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - Nonessential American diplomats and the families of all U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia should leave, the State (news - web sites) Department said Wednesday, stepping up its warnings about risks in the country.

Private U.S. citizens also should consider departing, the department said. Americans making plans to go to Saudi Arabia were advised to defer any such travel in light of "the potential for further terrorist activities."

The departure of U.S. officials and family members was voluntary, with the U.S. government covering the expenses.

"We remain fully confident that Saudi authorities are doing everything they can to protect their citizens and foreign nationals in the kingdom against terrorist attacks," department spokesman Lou Fintor said. He said the department's decision was "based on the reality that the terrorist threat in Saudi Arabia remains at a critical level."

Americans who travel to the kingdom or remain there despite the warning were told to register with the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh or the consulates in Jiddah and Dhahran.

"The U.S. government continues to receive indications of terrorist threats aimed at American and Western interests," the department said. Americans in Saudi Arabia were advised to remain vigilant, "particularly in public places associated with the Western community."

No single specific threat or piece of intelligence led to the department's action (news - web sites), said a U.S. counterterrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Instead, the decision was based on a review of the entire terrorism picture in the kingdom.

There are some 200 to 300 nonessential U.S. officials and family members in Saudi Arabia, and about 30,000 U.S. citizens in all.

Travel by American officials and their families in Riyadh already is restricted to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Last month, a housing compound in Riyadh was bombed, killing 17 people and wounding more than 100. Police arrested a Saudi citizen believed to have helped smuggle in from Yemen the weapons used in the attack, the Saudi daily Okaz reported Wednesday.

American and Saudi officials blamed that attack and suicide bombings at three other housing projects in May on Saudi exile Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al-Qaida terrorist network. Thirty-five people, including nine attackers were killed.

The State Department responded by ordering nonessential U.S. officials and family members to depart.

The diplomatic quarter east of Riyadh has been guarded heavily by Saudi armed forces since the suicide attacks.

Saudi officials say most of the weapons used in militant operations in Saudi Arabia — including the May suicide attacks — were smuggled from Yemen.