×

US orders non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia over security risks

By Thomson Reuters Oct 30, 2026 | 1:32 PM

Oct 30 (Reuters) – The United States ordered non-emergency government employees and ​their family members ‌to leave Saudi Arabia effective October 23 due to safety risks, the US ‌embassy ​in Riyadh ⁠said on Friday, ⁠citing Houthi attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure.

US government ​employees require special authorisation to use ⁠Saudi airports following ⁠recent missile and ​drone attacks, the embassy ​said, warning US citizens ‌of potential further attacks, airspace closures, flight cancellations and other travel ⁠disruptions.

The fighting between Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition ⁠backing ‌Yemen’s government ⁠has intensified in recent ​weeks, ‌opening a volatile ​new ⁠front in the wider US-Israeli war on Iran.

(Reporting by Enas Alashray and Ahmed Tolba;Editing by Ros ​Russell)