The United States has issued an ordered departure from Saudi Arabia for non-emergency government employees and their families, as Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and critical infrastructure intensify. The State Department announced the move on Wednesday, describing it as a response to a growing threat to American personnel in the kingdom.
“The U.S. Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott wrote on X. “Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions.”
FAKTA
- What happened: The US State Department ordered the departure of non-emergency US government employees and their family members from Saudi Arabia.
- When: The order was issued on Wednesday, 21 October 2026.
- Why: Intensifying attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis from Yemen on Saudi airports, military facilities, oil infrastructure and maritime traffic.
- Scope: The department says the formal order applies to Saudi Arabia only; reports by Reuters and AFP indicate family departures at other Gulf missions are also under way or planned.
- Travel warning: US government employees in Saudi Arabia now need special authorisation from the Chief of Mission to use any airport in the kingdom.
What the ordered departure from Saudi Arabia covers
The order covers non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia, including staff at the embassy in Riyadh and its consulates. Emergency staff remain in place, and the department said it would continue to support departing employees and their families as they return to the United States.
A State Department official told CNN the move was about the Houthis, and the department warned that the hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly, including beyond the immediate area. A separate security alert issued on Wednesday warned US citizens to be aware of potential attacks on airports and general travel disruptions.
“U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia require special authorization from Chief of Mission to use any airport in Saudi Arabia following recent missile and UAV attacks on airports in the Kingdom,” the alert said.
Conflicting accounts of a wider Gulf drawdown
The scope of the drawdown beyond Saudi Arabia remains unclear. The State Department stressed that the formal ordered departure applied to Saudi Arabia only, and Pigott described broader reports as inaccurate.
At the same time, AFP cited a diplomatic source in the Middle East as saying families of embassy staff had also been ordered to leave the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain. Reuters, citing four US officials, reported that US missions in other Gulf states would also be ordering family members to leave, after first reporting that the department was preparing an ordered departure of some personnel and family members from embassies across the Gulf region.
When asked about the reports on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he did not know about them. CNN also reported that a few other US diplomatic posts in the region were adjusting their staffing in response to the Houthi threat.
Why the order was issued
Saudi Arabia has come under near-daily attacks from the Houthis this month, as the war between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Houthi movement escalates. Earlier in October, a strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and injured more than 300, the deadliest attack on the kingdom in years.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted drones including one aimed at the Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province. Falling debris from the interception killed two expatriate workers, a Filipino and a Nepali, and injured two others, the Saudi energy ministry said. The ministry did not say who launched the drone.
Also on Wednesday evening, an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed one person and injured eight others, according to reports. It was not yet clear who was responsible for that strike.
Allied support steps up as attacks continue
The United States has stepped up its military support for the kingdom by boosting intelligence and targeting support, CNN reported. President Donald Trump has so far decided against striking the Houthis, despite Saudi requests for more offensive support.
Other allies have also moved to help defend the kingdom. On Tuesday, the United Kingdom said it would deploy fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks, and Egypt pledged all necessary and possible forms of support in recent days. Saudi-backed forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government have expanded operations against Houthi positions across multiple front lines, while Saudi air power continues to provide military cover.
The ordered departure is among the clearest signals yet of how seriously Washington views the threat to its personnel in the Gulf, and it comes as commercial travel in the kingdom faces severe disruption from the continuing attacks.
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