Riyadh, Mar 22: The US embassy in Riyadh and consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran announced they were closed to the public today as a precautionary measure in light of heightened tension over the war with Iraq. "The embassy and consulates will be closed to the public at least for one day, Saturday, March 22, except for emergency services for American citizens," the embassy said in a statement. Mission dependants will remain at home for at least one day while mission school age children will not attend school, the statement added. It said the measures have been taken to "allow us to assess the security situation," in Saudi Arabia.
The embassy and consulates will continue "to provide after-hours emergency services to American citizens in Saudi Arabia," it added.
The statement also warned American citizens that "the current hostilities may disrupt commercial air service temporarily.
"Depending on the international air carriers' and insurers' assessment of the risks of flying commercial aircraft into and out of the kingdom, this disruption may last up to several weeks." The US and British embassies today advised their nationals to increase personal security and remain vigilant after the start of the war on Iraq, but did not ask them to leave.
The US Embassy on Wednesday advised Americans to book seats on flights out as a precaution.