The
US Department of State urges its citizens to carefully consider 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-Qaeda, who may target
Western
interests, housing compounds, hotels, shopping
areas, and other facilities where Westerners congregate.
These terrorist
groups
may employ a wide variety of tactics and also
may target Saudi government facilities and economic/commercial targets
within
the Kingdom. This replaces the Travel Warning
issued August 5, 2011.
The
last major terrorist attack directed against foreign nationals was in
2007. Significant measures since then by the Saudi
government have greatly improved the security
environment throughout the Kingdom. The Department of State has since
authorized
the return of all family members to US Embassy
Riyadh, US Consulate General Jeddah, and US Consulate General
Dhahran.
While these changes reflect a continued
improvement in the security climate in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the
Eastern Province
and Riyadh, it is important to note that there
remains an ongoing security threat. US citizens who visit Saudi Arabia
are
strongly encouraged to carefully select hotels
or housing compounds with security measures in place that meet their
particular
needs. This is a personal and individual
decision for the traveler and/or sponsor. In addition, US citizens
should always
be aware of their surroundings when traveling or
visiting commercial establishments frequented by Westerners. US citizens
are also advised to keep a low profile, vary
times and routes of travel, exercise caution while driving, entering or
exiting
vehicles, and ensure that travel documents and
visas are current and valid.
