The key facts

  • Non-emergency staff of the US embassy in Riyadh and their families have been ordered to leave Saudi Arabia (AFP).
  • Diplomats' families in the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain have received similar directives; staffing changes have also been made in Lebanon (CNN).
  • Some diplomats are unhappy with the size of relocation assistance; the State Department confirms payments of a daily allowance, housing and education funds.

Washington withdraws part of its diplomats from Riyadh

Amid the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East, the US administration has ordered part of the staff of the embassy in Saudi Arabia and their family members to leave the country. According to the AFP agency, citing diplomatic sources, the directive applies to non-emergency-essential staff of the embassy in Riyadh and their families. Similar orders have been issued to family members of American diplomats in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.

Diplomats' discontent and the State Department's response

Some American diplomats have expressed dissatisfaction that the financial assistance allocated for relocation is insufficient: according to them, families that have not yet managed to find new housing and schools for their children are once again preparing for evacuation. Nikki Gamer, a representative of the American Foreign Policy Association, noted that the situation heightens anxiety among diplomats' families, some of whom had barely settled in after the previous evacuation. A State Department spokesperson, for their part, said that US-hired employees and their family members are being provided assistance in the form of a daily allowance as well as funds for housing and education; the amount of payments is calculated according to government-established rates depending on the location within the country.

Context of the measures and changes in other countries

The measures are being taken against the backdrop of concerns about attacks by Yemen's Houthis on Saudi Arabia and rising regional tensions linked to Iran. According to CNN, the State Department confirmed that temporary changes to the staffing of diplomatic missions are also being made in Lebanon, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan. Editorial note: the scale of the decisions — from a partial evacuation in Riyadh to staffing adjustments in five countries of the region at once — indicates a systemic adjustment of the American diplomatic presence rather than an isolated incident; at the same time, sources do not report any specific threats or timelines for the staff's return.

Why this matters

The decision affects American diplomats and their families in six countries of the region and also signals to regional partners the level of security risk as assessed by Washington. In practical terms, it means a reduction in part of the personnel of embassies and missions, which may affect consular services, while disputes over the size of compensation point to internal strain within the diplomatic corps. Sources have not yet reported on the timing of the evacuation or the possible return of staff.