US Orders Non-Emergency Staff Out of Saudi as Houthi Threat Grows
In a revised security alert, the mission said the State Department has ordered non-emergency government employees and their relatives to leave the kingdom, with the directive taking effect Oct. 23. It cited rising safety risks. The order was first made public on Wednesday.
“Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions,” the embassy said.
The Houthis have held Sanaa and other parts of Yemen since 2014. They returned to combat against Saudi-backed government forces in July, after a 2022 truce fell apart. The group has hit Saudi energy facilities as well as aviation targets.
“The hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area,” the US mission’s alert added.
King Khalid International Airport resumed limited operations on Sunday, the embassy said, handling domestic flights and a handful of international services run by Saudi carriers. The mission cautioned Americans to expect possible new attacks, airspace closures and canceled flights, and urged extreme caution at all airports in the kingdom. US government personnel must now obtain special authorization before using any Saudi airport.
The Houthis have since renewed their threats against the Riyadh hub, declaring it remains a military target despite the partial reopening. Operations there had been suspended after a Houthi strike on Oct. 10 that killed 13 people and wounded hundreds.
Saudi Arabia shot down more missiles and drones on Sunday as the fighting with the Houthis continued.
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