The United States has ordered all non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, citing growing safety concerns amid a series of missile and drone incidents in the Kingdom.
The directive was issued by the US State Department and communicated by the US Embassy in Riyadh through a public statement on social media. Officials said the precautionary measure was taken “due to safety risks” following recent attacks targeting Saudi territory.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense reported that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed at least three ballistic missiles and four drones that entered the country’s airspace shortly after midnight on Monday.
According to the ministry, three ballistic missiles were launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj, south of Riyadh, but were successfully intercepted before reaching their target. Air defences also shot down two drones over the northern areas of the Saudi capital, while another drone targeting the Shaybah oil field in the Empty Quarter desert was destroyed. A fourth drone was intercepted in the northern province of Al-Jouf.
Officials said the strikes appeared to follow a pattern seen in recent days, with missiles and drones launched in waves beginning around midnight and continuing throughout the day.
Prince Sultan Air Base and the strategic Shaybah oil field have been among the primary targets in these attacks, though Saudi air defence systems have reportedly neutralised most incoming projectiles.
However, one incident on Sunday caused civilian casualties when a projectile struck a residential area in Al-Kharj governorate, near the air base. Local authorities reported that two people were killed and 12 others injured.
A spokesperson for the Saudi Civil Defense confirmed that the victims were foreign nationals employed by a maintenance and cleaning company operating in the area. The two fatalities were identified as Indian and Bangladeshi citizens, while the injured individuals were all Bangladeshi residents.
Saudi authorities continue to monitor the security situation as regional tensions remain high and air defence forces stay on alert.
