New Delhi: The United States ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia on October 23 amid rising security threats from Yemen’s Houthis. The measure applies to US government personnel, not all American citizens, while the state department has retained its level 3 advisory urging travellers to reconsider visiting the kingdom.
In a security alert posted on X on Sunday, the US embassy in Riyadh warned that Houthi attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure could escalate rapidly beyond the areas already affected. It said the US government employees required special authorization from the chief of mission to use any Saudi airport and advised American citizens to exercise extreme caution because of possible attacks, airspace closures and flight cancellations.
Airport deaths and limited reopening
An attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on October 21 killed a Saudi citizen and an Indian national and injured eight others, including two Indians. As RNA Media previously reported, Saudi civil aviation authorities confirmed that airport operations had resumed following the attack, although subsequent US embassy advisories warned of continuing flight disruptions.
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh partially reopened on Sunday, with domestic services and selected international flights operated by Saudi carriers resuming. However, Indian airlines have continued suspending services amid security concerns. As RNA Media reported, IndiGo extended cancellations on Riyadh routes until October 31 and on Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah routes until October 27, while Akasa Air extended suspensions on its Saudi routes into November.
At Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oilfield, debris from an intercepted drone killed a Filipino and a Nepali worker and injured two others on October 21. Saudi authorities said oilfield operations were unaffected. India’s embassy confirmed that another Indian national was injured there, alongside two Indians injured in Dammam.
Houthi claims and Saudi response
On Monday, Houthi military spokesman,Yahya Saree, claimed strikes on Riyadh airport and Saudi crude oil pumping stations. Saudi authorities had not confirmed those specific claims, Reuters reported.
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile directed at Riyadh and destroyed two launchers in Sanaa. In a separate statement, it claimed to have destroyed five missile-storage tunnels, four launchers and a storage facility during operations in Houthi controlled areas.
The Iran-aligned Houthis control Yemen’s capital and oppose its internationally recognized government. Renewed fighting has shattered a UN-brokered truce that largely held from 2022.
The escalation threatens civilian aviation and energy security, particularly as disruption in the Strait of Hormuz increases the importance of Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline. Washington’s departure order does not constitute a general evacuation of American citizens or an announcement of direct military intervention.