The United States has ordered non-essential embassy personnel and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia following a surge in deadly attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The US State Department announced the directive on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, citing growing security concerns over attacks targeting civilian airports and critical infrastructure across the kingdom.
According to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the Houthis have increasingly carried out hostilities against Saudi Arabia, resulting in civilian casualties and significant disruptions to air travel.
The latest security measures followed a series of attacks on Saudi facilities, including an assault on Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport, where one person was initially reported killed and eight others injured. Two other people, a Filipino and a Nepali national, were also killed by falling debris after Saudi air defences intercepted a drone targeting the Shaybah oil field near the United Arab Emirates border.
Saudi Arabia has faced repeated drone and missile attacks in recent weeks, including a deadly strike on Riyadh’s international airport earlier this month. The escalating violence has heightened concerns over the safety of civilians, diplomatic personnel and vital infrastructure.
A diplomatic source also told AFP that families of some US embassy personnel were being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain. However, the State Department clarified that the formal departure order applied specifically to non-emergency personnel and their families in Saudi Arabia.
The US Embassy in Riyadh has also issued security warnings to American citizens, advising them to prepare for possible attacks on airports and travel disruptions. US government employees have been instructed to obtain special authorisation before using airports in Saudi Arabia.
The latest developments come amid renewed fighting in Yemen following the collapse of a ceasefire that had largely contained the conflict for several years. The Houthis, who control significant parts of Yemen, have continued their military campaign against the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.
The US withdrawal of non-essential personnel underscores growing concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the region, where the wider conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel has further heightened tensions.
