U.S. State Department Orders Non-Emergency Personnel to Leave Saudi Arabia

The U.S. State Department has ordered non-emergency American government employees and their families to evacuate Saudi Arabia. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed on X that this order applies only to Saudi Arabia and not to other Gulf countries.

The order targets non-emergency personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran. The embassy remains open, and consular services continue.

The reason is the increase in attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian airports and critical infrastructure, resulting in civilian casualties and significant travel disruptions. Recently, an attack on Dammam Airport resulted in one death and eight injuries, with casualties also reported at oil fields.

Reports from Reuters and others indicated that other Gulf countries' embassies also planned to evacuate families, but the State Department explicitly denied this, stating it is limited to Saudi Arabia. Some other embassies are in a "restricted operations" status, but no mandatory evacuation orders have been issued.

The U.S. military is also reducing its footprint in the Middle East. Previously, due to the Iran conflict, multiple embassies issued security warnings advising American citizens to exercise caution and prepare for travel disruptions.

From a market perspective, Houthi attacks on airports and energy facilities affect Saudi aviation and oil-related operations. The personnel evacuation reflects rising regional security risks, which may impact diplomatic activities and related commercial exchanges.

Source: Public Information