On October 21, 2026, the U.S. State Department ordered government employees not needed for emergency work and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks and travel risks increased.
The order applies to staff at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and its smaller consulates. Employees needed for essential work are not covered by the announced departure. The department said it was responding to Houthi attacks on civilian airports and other vital facilities.
It warned that the fighting could spread. It said the attacks had already hurt or killed people and caused serious travel disruption. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport had been targeted repeatedly during the attacks and was closed from October 10 after a severe strike.
Some Saudi flights resumed on Wednesday with permission. Major international airlines, including Lufthansa and Air France, had canceled flights to Riyadh through mid-November. Reuters, citing U.S. officials, reported that family members at other U.S. missions in the Gulf were also expected to leave.
The State Department publicly confirmed that it had ordered people to leave only in Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities also reported that debris from an intercepted drone killed two people and injured two others at an oil field run by Aramco. The U.S. embassy urged Americans to watch for more attacks and possible flight disruptions while officials assess the risks.