U.S. State Department Issues Travel Warning to Saudi Arabia Jul 25th 2013, 17:30
The U.S. Department of State released a travel warning to American citizens on the risks of traveling to Saudi Arabia. The warning refers to an arrest Aug. 26, 2012 of two terrorist cells by Saudi security authorities indicates, indicating that there is an ongoing security threat in the country. The warning talks about “the continued presence of terrorist groups, some affiliated with al-Qaida, 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, including small-scale attacks, and may target Saudi government facilities and economic/commercial targets within the Kingdom.”
According to the warning, the Saudi government has improved the security environment since the terrorist attack against foreign nationals in 2007, but the security threat remains. “U.S. 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,” says the statement, and “U.S. citizens should always be aware of their surroundings when traveling or visiting commercial establishments frequented by Westerners. U.S. 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.” For more information, see the U.S. State Department website.
YOUR COMMENT
