This Travel Warning was
issued on July 9, 2008, to update information on the security
situation in Saudi Arabia and reminds U.S. citizens of
recommended security precautions. It supersedes the Travel
Warning issued December 19, 2007.
The Department of State urges
U.S. citizens to consider carefully the risks of traveling to
Saudi Arabia. There is an ongoing security threat due to the
continued presence of terrorist groups, some affiliated with al
Qaida, who may target Western interests, housing compounds, and
other facilities where Westerners congregate. These terrorist
groups may also target Saudi Government facilities and
economic/commercial targets within the Kingdom.
In
February 2007, four French tourists were killed in a terrorist incident
on a desert track north of Medina. A gunman fired shots at the U.S.
Consulate General in Jeddah in May 2006. In February 2006, terrorists
attempted an attack on Saudi oil facilities in Abqaiq in the Eastern
Province. An armed attack on the U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah on
December 6, 2004, resulted in five deaths and eleven serious injuries
among non-U.S. staff members.
Although extremists have not conducted a successful attack against
Westerners since February 2007, the United States Mission in Saudi
Arabia remains an unaccompanied post as a result of continued security
concerns. The Department of State has approved limited family visitation
by adult dependents, in part because of the significant progress Saudi
security forces have made in counteracting the terrorist threat within
Saudi Arabia as they continue to arrest and break up terrorist cells.
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An armed attack on the
U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah occurred on December 6, 2004, resulting
in casualties among the non-American staff and damage to consulate
facilities. On November 13, 2005, the Consulate General in Jeddah closed
the visa section for security reasons that require the assistance of the
Government of Saudi Arabia to resolve. On May 12, 2006 a lone gunman
fired shots at the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah. There were no injuries.
The consular section remains open for American citizen services.
Terrorist groups continue to target
housing compounds and other establishments where Westerners may be
located. Saudi Government facilities are also targets. In addition to
car bombs and armed assaults involving multiple gunmen against such
facilities, terrorists have used ambush attacks to kidnap and/or
assassinate individual Westerners. On February 24, 2006, there was a
terrorist attack on Saudi oil facilities in Abqaiq in the Eastern
Province. There were no U.S. citizens or Westerners injured in this
attack however.
For
Information on How
to Protect Yourself, Your Family, Your
Employees, and Your Trips Abroad,
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877-211-3654 or
559-294-0316
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American citizens who choose to visit
or remain in Saudi Arabia despite this Travel Warning are strongly urged
to avoid staying in hotels or housing compounds that do not apply
stringent security measures including, but not limited to, the presence
of an armed guard force, inspection of all vehicles, and a hardened
security perimeter to prevent unauthorized vehicles from approaching the
facility. American citizens are further advised to exercise caution and
maintain good situational awareness when visiting commercial
establishments frequented by Westerners or in primarily Western
environments. Keep a low profile, varying times and routes for all
required travel, and ensure that travel documents and visas are valid.
American citizens are also advised to exercise caution while driving,
entering or exiting vehicles.
U.S. citizens who travel to or remain
in Saudi Arabia despite this travel warning are strongly urged to
register with the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulates in Jeddah and
Dhahran through the State Department's travel registration website,
https://travelregistration.state.gov
, in order to be included in the
Mission's warden network. Updated travel and security information for
Saudi Arabia is issued periodically via the warden network.
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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. Warden messages
can be found on the U.S. Embassy Riyadh website:
http://riyadh.usembassy.gov.
Updated information on travel
and security in Saudi Arabia may be obtained from the Department of
State by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. or Canada or on a regular
toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For additional information, 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.
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