Warden Notice 27/03 (08 November 2003)

The US Embassy has decided temporarily to close it's offices in Riyadh, Jedda and Dhahran to the public. This reflects US concerns about credible information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia have moved from the planning to the operational phase of planned attacks in the Kingdom.

We have at present no plans to close any British Embassy offices in the Kingdom. We remain in close contact with the Saudi authorities and continually review our security measures and information.

Our advice to the community remains as set out on 25 October. We continue to assess the threat from terrorism as particularly serious at this time and that terrorists may be in the final phases of planning attacks in the Kingdom.

We reiterate the importance of maintaining a high level of vigilance. You should continue to practice sensible security precautions, including the advice on personal and vehicle security we issue regularly.

If we receive further information which affects the security of the community or the advice contained in this Notice, we shall communicate this to you immediately. In this context the FCO Travel advice was revised on 6 November to direct readers to generic advice on security and terrorism, including the possible use of chemical and biological substances. You can read the latest travel advice at www.fco.gov.uk/travel or via the Embassy's website www.ukm.org.sa and click on consular.

William John Neil
HM Consul